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slowly at first; then faster and faster; and the paddles kept time 
to the tune of the song. After a trip of two hours we landed on 
the left river-bank near a small settlement Tiutiu or Tutu. Our 
repast consisted of potatoes, bread and tea. The inhabitants of the 
place, cpiito in contrast with the usual curiosity of the Maoris, 
seemed to take but little notice of the arrival of so large a tra- 
velling company; and upon entering one of the huts, I met two 
elderly tattooed men so absorbed in their game, that they did not 
look until I accosted them. The game which the two old fellows 
were playing, was no other than our game at draughts translated 
into Maori style. The “men” of one party were represented by 
small potatoes cut in two, called Riwai; those of the other, by peach- 
kernels, called Pititi. Instead of the draught-board they had a 
piece of board , upon which not even squares were marked, 
and the game itself they called Teraku. They, however , most 
readily gave all the information required, and conducted me through 
the plats surrounding the huts, upon which turnips (Tonapi), me- 
lons (Hue), cucumbers (Kurnokuma), maize (Kaanga), potatoes 
(Rapana) and peach-trees (Pititi) were thriving exceedingly well. 
But with special care had the Kumara-fields 1 been attended. 
After three o’clock we continued our journey. The country 
presented little change of scenery, and nothing ot special interest. 
Flat alluvial-tracts, partly covered with Kahikatea-forcsts , alternate 
with low rows of hills, at the most 300 to 400 feet high, present- 
ing, where they extend to the river-banks, denudations of sott 
horizontal layers of sandstone and clay. At 6 o’clock in the even- 
ing' -\ve arrived at the Maori settlement Pukatea on the left bank, 
and here for the first time we pitched our tents for the night. The 
natives regaled us with dried Waikato-eel (Tuna maroke), which 
with them are considered cjuite a delicacy. Upon journeys great 
quantities of such eel are always carried with, as part of the pro- 
visions , in bundles of twenty to thirty . Those halfsmoked 1 una 
marokes , however, although I greatly relished the fresh eel, in 
1 Kumara == Convolvulus chrysorhizus , the so-called batata or sweet potato; three 
different varieties of that plant were designated to me as Peliu, Monenehu and Orangi. 
