CHAPTER V. 



The North Island of New Zealand A Drive on the Beach Beautiful Shells 

 A Wreck Wanganui Fossils Among the Maoris A Cool Reception at 

 the Thames Gold Fields Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire. 



I LEFT, the latter part of May, for Nelson, and there 

 took the steamer for Wellington, where I met father. 

 The next morning, early (two A.M.), we started in 

 the stage for Wanganui, whither Shelley had already 

 gone. We arrived at the seashore on the west coast, 

 where a change of horses was made, and from that time 

 the stage journey of over thirty miles was on the 

 smooth, hard, sandy beach. This route can be taken 

 only when the tide is favorable, and that was the reason 

 of our starting from Wellington at such an early hour. 

 I was surprised to see on the beach a great many 

 beautiful shells washed ashore in a recent storm, and 

 was watching for an opportunity to gather a few when 

 one of the horses fell, breaking the harness in many 

 places. No sooner was the stage at a standstill than 

 I was out, speedily filling my bag. The shells were in 

 rows, as left by the high tide. Striped Volutes, Top- 

 shells, Murexes, Bullas, and thousands of brilliantly 

 colored Pectens and Olives followed the lines of sea- 

 weed ; some of them were alive and crawling back to 

 the water. Father, who had been busily engaged trying 



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