276 
Memoranda of an Excursion 
halted at a brawling stream at its base to roast a few 
potatoes. Here, on the brink of the stream, I discovered 
a small tree of a genus unknown to me (unless it should 
prove to belong to the genus Trophis ); I only observed 
one plant, which was about 15 feet high, with smooth 
cineraceous bark, solitary crimson fruit, and small ser¬ 
rated oval dark-green leaves. On cutting its bark, a 
profusion of thick viscid milky juice gushed out. From 
the stream I obtained some fine specimens of Algae. 
Leaving this place, we crossed the river "VV aiho, which 
at the ford was breast-high, and proceeded on, over the 
plain and through the extensive swamps, towards Ma- 
tamata, a large native village, which place we reached 
late at night. In crossing the marshes, I only noticed 
a Coprosma as being new, of which I brought speci¬ 
mens. The chapel at this village, being wholly of 
native execution, is worthy of notice, and does them 
great credit. Length, breadth, and height included, I 
suppose it to be the largest native-built house in New 
Zealand. It measures 95 feet by 40, and is nearly 18 
feet to wall-plate. It has fine large smooth slabs of 
the Totara for posts, some of which were nearly 3 feet 
in width. The interior was very neatly constructed of 
a kind of chequer-work, composed of the stalks of the 
common fern (Pteris esculenta ), placed laterally on each 
other, interlaced with strips of the fibrous Kiekie ( Frey - 
einetia Banksii); the grave colour of the fern stalks 
agreeing well with the purpose for which the house was 
built. The whole possessed a very neat appearance. 
From the natives I learnt, that they were indebted to 
the Taranake tribes, on the S.W. coast, for the know¬ 
ledge of this kind of ornamental work. 
Early on the morning of the 21st 1 left Matamata, 
