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remote interior of the southern portion of the Province, was, as 
yet almost unexplored. Since Dieffenbach’s memorable travels in 
the year 1840, no naturalist had beheld the high volcanic cones 
in the interior of the island , or the beautiful inland-lakes , the boil- 
ing springs, the steaming solfataras and fumaroles of that country. 
Rumours about the existence of extensive coalfields , of lead , and 
copper ore were afloat. The geological information gleaned from 
Dieffenbach’s account of that country, could not suffice, nor was 
the topography of the interior known to any extent. Hence a jour- 
ney in that direction promised the most remunerative results; and 
towards the end of February 1 made the necessary preparations for it. 
Captain (now Major) Drummond Hay, a gentleman thoroughly 
versed in the Maori language, was appointed by the Governor as my 
travelling-marshal and interpreter. The Provincial Government, on 
the other hand, was so kind as to invite my friend Dr. Haast to join 
our party; it moreover most readily complied with my request to 
furnish me a photographer, and also an assistant to make metereo- 
logical observations and to aid me in my collections and drawings. 
In the latter capacity 1 engaged a willing and very useful young 
German, Mr. Koch ; in the former the artist, Mr. Bruno Hamel. 
Besides these, two male attendants, a cook and fifteen natives to 
carry our luggage were hired. 
Thus provided with letters of recommendation from the Gover- 
nor to the most influential chiefs, and supplied with every article 
necessary for a long journey on foot through thinly populated coun- 
tries, and for nightly bivouacs in the open air, I left Auckland on 
the 6 th of March for Mangatawhiri on the Waikato. In the canoes 
of the natives 1 proceeded up Waikato,? on the banks of which, near 
Kupakupa below Taupiri, extensive brown coal beds crop out; thence 
up the Waipa, a tributary of the former, for the purpose of visiting 
the harbours of Whaingaroa , Aotea and Kawliia on the West-coast, — 
localities of great interest on account of the fossils found there. On 
Kawliia Harbour I discovered besides belcmnitos the first specimens 
of ammonite in New Zealand. From Kawliia, I proceeded in an 
inland direction through the upper Waipa country as far as the 
