in New Zealand . 
247 
Pteris esculent a, Leptospermum scoparium , Leucopogon 
Fraseriiy and such plants, alone existed on these dry 
and sterile spots; save where, in the deep glens between 
the hills, a clump of wood was to be found, shewing 
their heads of foliage here and there like Oases in the 
desert. The soil was dry and dusty, and principally 
composed of broken pumice. Towards evening, from 
the crest of one very high hill, I had, in looking back, a 
splendid, though distant, prospect of Hawkes’ Bay, and 
the high and rugged land bounding the same. On the 
top of this hill I obtained specimens of a small tree, a 
species of ? Weinmannia; a few stunted plants of which 
were here scattered about. My native guides assured 
me, that no person could keep his footing on this 
elevated spot when the south wind blows; an asser¬ 
tion, which the denuded and bare aspect of the place, 
together with the very stunted appearance of the few 
trees and shrubs on it, seemed fully to corroborate. 
Bivouacked for the night at Wakamarino, a little vil¬ 
lage on the banks of a small river. 
Early the next morning I re-commenced my march 
towards Waikare Lake, the old chief of Wakamarino 
accompanying me. An hour’s walking brought me to 
Waikare taheke, a rapid stream of about four feet deep, 
caused by the exit of the waters of the lake towards the 
sea, and which here most outrageously tumbled over a 
long and sloping bed of rock. A bridge of trees (and 
one of the best constructed native bridges I have ever 
seen) was thrown across the foaming torrent, which, 
though strongly secured together, seemed as if every 
rush of the bounding water would carry it away. A 
nervous person would scarcely have hazarded himself 
on such a vibrating and precarious footing. The beauty 
