284 
Memoranda of an Excursion 
widen considerably as I advanced, being in some places 
from 300 to 500 yards in width, but very shallow. Its 
coarse, here, was not so sinuous, and much more 
northerly, than those portions we passed over yesterday. 
The land is low on either side, and, as I proceeded, 
several small and flat islands divided the river into 
channels. After paddling about 20 miles, we beached 
our canoe on a small island, in order to breakfast. The 
river here is very shoal, with a sandy bottom; which, 
together with the sub-soil of the island on which we 
landed, is of volcanic origin, consisting of broken lava 
and pumice. I found nothing new among the vegeta¬ 
tion of the islet. Near this place, the natives informed 
me, and at a short distance from the right bank of the 
river, is a large lake, in which are quantities of Kanse 
(Mugil -) and Patiki (Pleuronectes -), neither 
of which are found in the Waikato. These fish are 
found, in their season, on all the New Zealand coasts, 
and are very delicate eating. The lake is named Wlii- 
kare, and runs into the main river a little lower down. 
As we proceeded, the banks of the river became more 
and more lovely, being in many places clothed with 
the righest profusion of vegetation to the water’s edge. 
Among the trees, the Kahikatea (Dacrydiuni excelsum ) 
was ever predominant. AVe noticed a Kauri (Dammar a 
australis ) to-day, for the first time since we left the 
Bay of Islands. At seeing this pine my natives, whom 
1 had brought from the E. Cape, and who had never 
seen one of these trees before, were much- gratified. 
Towards evening, we passed several islets in the river, 
some of which were high and beautifully wooded. No¬ 
ticed the Kahikatea to stand very close together in the 
forests. I gathered, overhanging the banks of the 
