346 



leaving the open plains, and the distance to the open country above the forest 

 is compai*atively small. 



From the Ruamahunga T proceeded northward through the Forty-mile 

 Bush. Our road descended to the Ruamahunga by the Maori track, crossed the 

 river, ascended a terrace, and then passed over a hill called Kotukutuku, of no 

 great altitude. This hill, however, I believe may be avoided altogether, by 

 taking the line of road lower down on the Ruamahunga. In three hours we 

 reached the Maungawhinau stream, said by our guide, Hemi Paraone te Ua, 

 to be a tributary of the Ruamahunga, but my impression is that he is wrong, 

 and that it runs towards the Manawatu basin. The road frequently crosses 

 this stream, a disadvantage which might probably be easily obviated. After 

 crossing the before described hill, the road was nearly level excepting an 

 occasional ascent of a terrace bank. We encamped on the banks of the 

 Makakahi, on an undoubted northern fall. It is a rapid stream, much 

 encumbered with drift wood. 



The weather was very rainy, and it took us two half days travelling 

 through bush and upon terraces and alluvium to reach the Tutaekara pa, 

 situated on an open flat on the banks of the Maungatuinoko river. Here we 

 found a population of about one dozen very miserable Maoris, under a chief 

 called Mikara. 



The Puketoi range may be estimated as five miles distant to the eastward, 

 and the nearest ranges of Tararua appearing to be about five miles to the west- 

 ward would give a breadth to the valley of about ten miles. 



From Tutaekara we proceeded across the plain to the banks of the 

 Maungawha, where that river makes some great bends through cliffs of blue 

 clay and gravel. 



The next stream which we crossed is called the Ka-uki, near the junction 

 of the tertiary sandstones and limestones with the vertical rocks of the main 

 range. 



The terraces of the Forty-mile Bush are in geological character similar to 

 those of the Wairarapa. The rocks observed are tertiary sandstones, and 

 some limestone, blue clay, and gravels. The rocks of the main range con- 

 tinue of the same character as further south. 



Soon after leaving the Kauki we ascended abruptly the main range which 

 here thins out to a comparatively narrow ridge ; we crossed it without passing 

 into any valley. The distance from level land to level land on each side does not 

 exceed four or five miles. From the ridge most extensive views can be obtained. 

 The Puketoi range lies opposite — a scarped tertiary formation ; over its 

 northern shoulder open country is visible to the eastward. To the southward 

 may be seen the hills beyond Masterton ; on the western side the view extends 

 over an immense area of level country. The view from this range gives a 

 strong impression of the ultimate resom-ces of the district. The rocks of the 

 main range hei-e show no change from those further south : the height of the 

 range here is perhaps 2000 feet above the sea. 



We descended upon Raukawa ; thence we proceeded down the right bank 

 of the River Manawatu, travelling upon a rich alluvium, but observing occa- 

 sionally the scarp of gravel terraces. 



The mouth of the Oroua at Puketotara seems to mark the line of demar- 

 cation between the rich land of the interior plains, and the poorer sand tracts 

 towards the coast, and as the aneroid marked exactly the same height at Puke- 

 totara as at Te Awahou, I would suggest that the principal township of the 

 Manawatu, ought perhaps to be at, or near Puketotara, and the river naviga- 

 tion improved up to that point, in which case the main trunk line of road 

 from Wellington to the North, would pass through and open fertile lands 

 instead of traversing' sand hills. 



