ESTUARY OF THE KERI-KEEI. 91 



Much rain had lately fallen, and many of the 

 paths Avere partially converted into water-courses. 

 I walked across to a neighbouring' hay, and employed 

 myself in searching for shells in the mud at low 

 water. Some bivalves, common there —various Cy- 

 therem and Mesodesma CAemraifeii — constitute an 

 important article of food to the natives, who knew 

 them by the name ofpipi. A marshy place, at the 

 mouth of a small stream, was tenanted by a curious 

 wrinkled univalve, with a notch on the outer lip, 

 Amphibola avellana of conchologists. 



May 19)th. — I joined a party made up to visit the 

 falls of the Keri-Keri river, and we started, after an 

 early breakfast, in one of the ship's boats. The 

 morning was dull and rainy, and we had occasional 

 showers during the forenoon. In an hour after 

 leaving the ship we entered the estuary of the river, 

 a large arm of the sea, which we followed for several 

 miles. The scenery reminded me of that of some of 

 the sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland, and al- 

 though fern was here substituted for heath, the 

 " Scotch mist" was perfectly represented at the an- 

 tipodes. The country is scantily wooded, and the 

 muddy shores are occasionally fringed with a small 

 mangrove [Avicennia tomentosa). Here and there 

 were a few settlers' houses, with the accompanying 

 signs of cultivation. One of the small islands, and 

 also a hill top on the northern shore, had an artificial 

 appearance, their summits being levelled and the 



