Chap. III. PIGEONS— PRECAUTIONS. 00 
Many of the forest trees bear berries, which furnish 
food to the pigeons. Their favourite morsel is the fruit 
of the tawa, a tree which abounds everywhere. The 
fruit is not unlike a damson in colour, shape, and size ; 
but, if picked fresh, it tastes strongly of unadulterated 
turpentine. After these berries have fallen some time, 
they become perfectly insipid, but are juicy and refresh- 
ing if they have been lying under the shade. 
When we lay down for the night, our attendant 
natives begged us to examine our fire-arms and hat- 
chets, and to keep them close to our hands, ready for 
use. On inquiry into the reason for this precaution, 
they told us that PaMhure, the great chief of the 
Rangifa?ie, had managed to escape into the hills with 
some few of his followers from the general slaughter 
by Rauperaha, and that the report of our guns might 
attract him, and lead to an attack on our party, for 
the sake of vengeance and plunder. As Jacky Guard 
himself did not neglect the injunction, we also com- 
plied ; but we were not disturbed from a sound sleep 
until early daylight, when I was awoke by some heavy 
drops of dew falling on my face from the overhang- 
ing branches, where they had collected during the 
night. The birds, too, had begun their cheerful 
hymn. 
My uncle and I took our usual morning plunge, and 
experienced the sharp cold of the stream, which takes 
its source among snowy mountains. The natives and 
Guard stood in great astonishment on the bank, and had 
a hearty laugh as we rushed out, shivering and nearly 
blue. As the boat could proceed no further on account 
of the shallowness of the river, we obtained a canoe and 
experienced guides from among the slave tribe, and 
pushed slowly up the stream, wishing to ascertain 
whether the valley, now narrowed to little more than 
