202 
NAPIER 
CHAP. 
Napier, part of which is built on high cliffs, with the 
principal streets at its foot, facing the open sea. It is 
approached by a long, low stretch of the shingly beach 
which marks the deep bay for many miles along the 
coast. This town is the centre of the great agricultural 
and pastoral district of Hawke’s Bay. 
A few days later I started at ten in the morning by 
train for Taranaki, passing through rich pasture lands, 
trim hedges, comfortable homesteads, thriving little 
villages, rich grass lands, with flocks of sheep and sleek, 
well-fed cattle grazing contentedly in happy ignorance 
of freezing-works. Then through patches of dense 
scrub to Danneberg, with everywhere its sawmills and 
stacks of red timber ; then on to Woodville, the largest 
and most thriving town in this part of the island, and 
through the Manawatu Gorge with the bubbling river 
many feet below you, and the high hills above, to 
Palmerston. The rain was coming down now so heavily 
that we only had glimpses through the thick mists of 
outlines of hills and trees, and now it became mistier 
still, until all was wrapped in darkness, and we rolled 
our rugs around us, and, tired of each other’s chattering, 
soon fell asleep until half-past nine. When the day’s 
journey was over at Wanganui, a short drive brought 
me to the Victoria Hotel, supper, and to bed. 
At six I was up next morning, and at seven steaming- 
up the river in the Wairere to Pipiriki, the outskirts of 
civilisation in this district. A monument stands close 
to the starting-point, and I had just time to read the 
names on it of the friendly Maoris who had fought and 
lost their lives here in our service. 
The country recalls endless memories of Maori 
history : every height and bend of the river is the 
scene of some battle famous in legend and song. 
Above us are remains of many old redoubts, monu- 
