16 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
(red oxide of iron), of which the present aborigines of New Zea- 
land still make extensive use, and of some fatty substance such 
as fish-oil, or perhaps some oily bird-fat.” From the phrase used 
it would appear that Dr. von Haast had already procured an 
analysis of the pigment. 
I defer, for the moment, an account of the conclusions at 
which we, collectively or individually, arrived respecting these 
paintings, in order to complete the narrative portion of my work. 
After a pretty close inspection of the rock-shelter and its orna- 
mentation, above and below, we proceeded to the gorge above 
mentioned, where the creek cuts its-way through the rampart, 
examining as we went every rock giving indication ofa “ shelter.” 
At the upper extremity of the gorge, just below the springs, 
occurred the smaller shelter of which I spoke just now. And 
here again (it was some three or four hundred yards from the 
larger one) we found other specimens of painting. The “shelter ” 
itself consisted only of the hollow under a moderate sized rock 
or boulder. It was only about eight or ten feet long and two or 
three high, so that it was necessary to creep or crawl underneath 
to get near the painted surface. Here and there were only a few 
“paintings;” two or three, in black pigment, fairly distinguish- 
able and evidently similar to those in the large shelter, and one 
or two red patches which might be anything. The member of 
our party who had previously visited the place stated that when 
he first saw this shelter the earth and grass filled it much more 
than when we were there; sheep, probably, had trodden down 
or eaten the grass and pressed down the earth to its present 
level ; indeed, small locks of wool adhered to the wall. 
Having thoroughly examined this spot and seeing no more 
indications of rock shelters in the vicinity, we turned our steps 
to the high road, where our coach soon picked us up. About 
sunset we reached the Weka Pass Inn, where the landlord, pre- 
viously instructed of the probable ravenous appetites of the party, 
provided a capital finish to the day’s work in the shape of an 
excellent dinner. During the evening the natural subject of con- 
versation was the origin and meaning of the paintings, and these 
weae discussed in all their bearings as long as time allowed. I 
should have observed that as our party included individuals of 
many varied inclinations, the day’s proceedings had not been 
confined merely to one object. The entomologist kept a sharp 
lookout for /epidoptera, and during the evening was continually 
popping out to inspect the trees in the garden “sugared” for 
his victims. Ferns were gathered whenever fair specimens were 
found. The conchologist searched in every direction for land and 
water shells ; the microscopical section dived into every pool for 
diatoms, desmids, or any other prey procurable. 
A good night’s rest and a capital breakfast fitted us for the 
next day’s proceedings. This time we devoted ourselves to more 
general wanderings, and splitting up into parties explored in 
various directions—some on the hills, some in the valleys. “Our 
artist,” vagabondizing alone, discovered in a branch creek a lovely 
