GENERAL OUTLINE, 
4 
parts of the northern island, the first objects 
of attention are, the cloud-girt or snow-capped 
mountains, rising, with gigantic grandeur, above 
the more humble hills by which they are skirted* 
Some of these mountains rise more than fourteen 
thousand feet above the level of the sea; their 
sides covered with forest timber, and their whole 
appearance strikingly rich and grand. Such is 
Mount Edgcombe ; and such, though not so high 
as this, is Hikurangi ; which rises out of the val- 
ley of Waiapu, and terminates the beautiful view 
which is presented from the sea, looking up the 
valley. I saw it with all its variety of lights and 
shades: I gazed upon it in its loveliest forms: 
and, when it assumed a darker feature, the black 
clouds resting half way from its summit down- 
wards, I was astonished at the solemn, silent ma- 
jesty with which it seemed to bear the burden of 
its crown. The country is remarkably hilly and 
broken : the ranges of hills extend from the north 
to the south of the island ; some of them barren, or 
only covered with fern ; others, clothed with most 
noble forest-trees, of foliage variously and richly 
tinted. The tops and sides of some of these hills 
are studded with caves, deep, dark, and frightful. 
Putahi is one of this character : it is situated on 
the western border of the Lake of Mawe, about 
midway between Waimate and Kaikohi. I once 
ascended to the top of this hill, in a journey to the 
latter place; and examined its caves, eleven in 
number^ on its top and sides : they are very 
