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borne eleven children , seven robust boys , and four pretty girls, 
as I had ample chance to convince myself by the specimens pre- 
sent in the sitting room. 
At 4 o’clock I arrived at the Mission station, and together 
with my companions, was received by the venerable Rev. Mr. 
Alexander Read in his house with a most cordial welcome. The 
evening was passed with conversations about the manners and Hie 
relative capacities for civilization of the natives. 
March 17. — The Mission station is situated 30 miles from 
the junction of the Waikato and the Waipa, on the left bank of 
the Waipa at a considerable curvature of the river. Few miles 
to the Northwest rises the picturesque Pirongia mountain; and to 
the East at a distance of two or three miles upon the plain by 
the right bank of the Waipa, the beautiful, regular, conical Mount 
Kakepuku. The district is not only extremely fertile, but, as to 
scenery, no doubt the most beautiful portion of the Waipa country. 
The weather having turned pleasant again, we agreed upon an ex- 
cursion to the top of the Kakepuku. The name Kake or Kakipuku 
is said to signify swelled neck. The top of the mountain the na- 
tives have moreover designated by the name of Idikurangi, arch 
of heaven. According to their views Kakepuku is the wife of Pi- 
rongia, and the smaller truncated cone Kawa rising beside the 
former , is in turn the wife of Kakepuku. A quarrel having arisen 
between the couples, they are now standing single and isolated. 
Rev. Mr, Read was so kind as to accompany us on the ex- 
cursion. The top can be easily reached from the missionary’s house 
in the space of three hours. By the bank of the Waipa we met 
a large company of Maoris, numbering about 200 persons, assembled 
together for a nuptial feast. There were tents erected, and long 
rows of tables placed, densely crowded with guests and heavily 
laden with bread, potatoes, maize, pork, tea and all sorts of fruit. 
At such festivals, which are generally fixed upon for the time 
immediately following the gathering of crops — it being a time of 
plenty, — they feast for three whole days, and drink u in dulci 
jubilo .” But often bitter want is felt afterwards, just before the 
