m 
festival was the exchange of presents with a tribe dwelling on the 
lower Mokau. 
In the afternoon I ascended a height, not far from Piopio, 
on the right bank of the Mokau, and close by the settlement 
Mairoa, for the purpose of sketching and mapping the surround- 
ing country. Opposite , on the left bank of the river , rises a 
wood-clad ridge, Kahuwhera; from the summit of which a beauti- 
ful view is said to be had of the Tongariro and Ruapahu. In the 
evening I joined the natives as they sat clustered about the tire. 
The topic of our conversation were the caves with moa-bones in 
the upper Waipa and Mokau districts. From their recitals I learned, 
that in former times those caves abounded in moa-remains , and 
that in nearly all caves of the limestone-range not only single bones 
were found in great quantities, but even whole skeletons; they, 
however, were of the opinion, that long ago every spot and track 
had been picked clean, and that there was nothing more to be 
found now. They informed me , that their forefathers already had 
searched those caves for moa-bones; that they employed the skulls 
as boxes for preserving their paint-powders; the large bones being 
either used as clubs or worked into fishing-hooks. Then the Pa- 
kelias came offering such enormous prices for the old bones , that 
the Maoris collected for sale the very last remnants. Nevertheless 
I do not doubt, that many such curiosities may still be found in 
those parts; but a great many of those caves, being used as the 
final resting-places of their departed ancestors, are held sacred and 
secret by the Maoris; moreover, it would have cost more time, 
persuasion and money, than I could afford, to prevail upon the 
natives , to conduct a Pakeha into the tombs of their ancestors , and 
aid him in searching for moa-bones. 
April 0. • — With the rising sun the whole Maori-party had 
started off. Each of them had a share in the gifts, and went 
home with some present or other. We, too, were ready to set 
out earlier than usual. Our road lay through the swampy plain 
toward the heights bordering the valley. Here stands the village 
Poroporo; it was utterly deserted. At a sharp bend of the Mokau 
