direction to a distance of some miles, the traveller arrives, behind 
a corner of basaltic rocks, at a very rich locality of fossils embed- 
ded in a sandy tertiary limestone. The rocks are full of large 
oysters and of species of Terebratula, Pecten , Balanus etc. 
Viewed from the North head , the Karioi mountain presents 
itself in its full beauty as a mighty corner-buttress jutting far 
into the sea on the Southside of the harbour. It is a trachyte- 
stock like Pirongia, 21172 feet high, wood-grown from foot to 
top, its declivities furrowed by ravines, and with a broad, ser- 
rated top. 
Mount Karioi on the entrance of the Whaingaroa Harbour, 
Along the eastern foot of this mountain our path led us on 
the 23 d of March to the Aotea Harbour, the Superintendent re- 
turning to Auckland. The distance between Whaingaroa and Aotea 
is ten miles. The road is good, and cut so broad through the 
woods, that it admits the use of horses. When ascending from 
Opotoro creek along the Mata-brook' the first height lias been » 
scaled, the traveller arrives at an open place in the woods where 
an European house stands. Then, after crossing a gently sloping 
wood-clad indentation of the mountain-ridge , which extends from 
Mt. Karioi to Pirongia, he reaches the open hills on the North- 
side of the Aotea Harbour. The busli upon that saddle appeared 
to me very beautiful and luxuriant, no doubt merely because the 
road had been cut out so broad , that I really had a full view 
of the forms of the single trees, which is hardly possible on the 
