286 
Memoranda of an Excursion 
The land on the southern side is very high and preci¬ 
pitous, while on the northern it is hilly but lower, and, 
for about three or four miles, the very perfection of 
barrenness. Mr. Maunsell, who has several times been 
up and down this river, supposes the distance which I 
came by water to be from 130 to 150 miles; being very 
nearly what I had calculated it to be. The river de¬ 
creases rapidly in width as you approach its mouth, 
which is very narrow with a bar across it, on which 
there is two fathoms of water. Here, the breakers burst 
continually; one or two small vessels have, however, 
entered. 
At 6 a.m., on the 1st February, we left Maraetai. 
Crossing the river in a canoe to the northern bank, we 
proceeded over the sandhills on our journey towards 
Manukau. Descending to the outer coast, we con¬ 
tinued travelling over the interminable sandy beach 
until after sunset; when, much fatigued, we halted for 
the night on the sands, about three miles within the 
southern head of Manukau Bay. The cliffs to our 
right in this day's travelling, were high and much 
broken, composed of sand and sandstone, and in many 
places covered with verdure. The continual falling, 
however, of the sandy material of which they are com¬ 
posed, will, in process of time, cause them to entirely 
disappear. In several places, for many yards together, 
the line of cliff nearest the sea had recently fallen, 
bringing with it quantities of small trees and shrubs, 
causing, at the time of high water, no small obstacle to 
our progress. I noticed some small shrubs, evidently 
species of Edwardsia , the habit and foliage of which 
differed from the one I had hitherto seen; I took spe¬ 
cimens, regretting there being neither flower nor fruit. 
