447 
recollect a more romantic scene of a night in the bush , during all 
my rambles in New Zealand. 
May 14. — We took an early start, our road continuing level 
along the wooded plateau, then for a short distance up-hill. There 
the woods opened, and we stood at the margin of the plateau 
breaking off abruptly towards the plains of the Waiho and Piako; 
on our right the great fall of the Wairere river, which noisily 
tumbles over the precipice into the depths below. In fair weather, 
the prospect from this point must be a glorious one; but the tempest 
chasing heavy clouds of mist over our heads, deprived us of that 
pleasure. The upper part of the mountain-side being densely wooded, 
it is not easy to find a suitable place from which a full view may 
be had of the fall. I therefore, before ascending the last height, 
proceeded along the left bank of the Wairere creek through the bush, 
advancing to a place where the river first falls over a bank 10 feet 
high , and then suddenly plunges down into the depths. The heavy 
Southwest wind drove the spray back, and I stood there like in a 
heavy shower of rain. On ascending from here the height on the 
left , I had quite a fair view of the falls. The river precipitates 
in three steps over columnar trachytic rocks , and the total height 
of the falls I found to be 670 feet. The descent from the 
plateau is very steep. Having reached, the valley , we took a 
southerly direction up the valley along the foot of the range, 
and rested for dinner near the small settlement Okauwia. Not far 
from here on the left bank of the Waiho is the old Pah Pupunui, 
and half a mile above this Pah on the banks of the Waiho 
there are three warm springs, on the left bank the Paruparu and 
Ramaroa, on the right bank the Okahukura. The latter, of a tem- 
perature of 117° F. , bubbles from the sandy bed of a small 
creek near its junction with the Waiho; the natives have con- 
structed a basin for bathing by damming it up. Also farther 
North at the foot of the Aroha mountain warm springs are said 
to break forth. After passing numerous swampy creeks , we 
reached towards evening the settlement Whatiwhati, about ten 
miles South of the Wairere. 
