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valley in an easterly direction on a miserable road, which, in a 
manner very fatiguing to the traveller, led continually up and down 
over the terraces, through swamps, over numerous small creeks, 
and several times across the river itself. In the valley there was 
a successive change of grass, luxuriant shrubs and picturesque groups 
of Ti-trees. At a distance of three miles, the valley turns South- 
East towards the Tuhua-mountain , the most prominent point in the 
whole country, about 34-00 feet high with a broad platform and a 
steep descent on its South side. At the bend of the river I counted 
no less than eight terraces on both sides. The valley here changes 
its character; it contracts into a rocky gorge shut in by vertical 
walls of trachytic rock, which present a beautiful columnar array, 
and through it the river rushes along over powerful blocks obstructing 
its course. About noon we reached a romantic spot, Koapaiari, 
where amongst sugarloaf-rocks of trachyte a small creek Komahina 
forms a picturesque cataract shaded by beautiful groups of trees 
and bushes. Here wo stopped to make tea. 
The Mangakaliu there taking an eastward course, the road 
diverges from it, leading in a southerly direction over the terraces 
and over woodless hills with a steep ascent on to the table-land 
Pokomotu, 1386 feet above the level of the sea, at the western 
foot of the Tuhua mountain. This plateau is litterally covered with 
pumicestone. After having advanced about three miles, we came 
to the banks of the Piaua, a small stream running in a southerly 
direction to the Taringamotu river. Here a view was opened over 
the magnificent landscape at the junction of the Ongaruhe, Taringa- 
motu and Wanganui rivers. The chief ornament of this landscape 
is the Hikurangi (i. e. ascending towards heaven), at the right 
between the Piaua and the Ongaruhe rivers, a volcanic cone of a 
very regular shape, rising from a very gently sloping base steeper 
and steeper to a height of 800 to 1000 feet, the top appearing as 
if cut smooth with a knife. Dark woods cover its declivities. 
The top is said to contain a water basin at the bottom of a funnel- 
shaped crater, and on the South-Eastside two powerful mineral 
springs (probably chalybeate) bubble out. In proceeding from the 
