aM ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VIII. 
precluded the departure of the fleet. He immediately 
selected a good-sized house and court-yard for our joint 
residence. Pigs were killed, and provisions of all kinds 
collected. The boys feasted largely during the next 
day ; the gale continuing, with much rain. P 
On the next day, the 8th of April, E Kuru proposed 
an excursion up the river, as the wind was still un- 
abated. I assented with pleasure. A large convenient 
canoe was prepared ; the place of honour was spread 
with mats for the chief and myself, and a strong crew 
manned the paddles. We proceeded about twenty 
miles up the river, which continued perfectly navigable 
for coasting-craft during the whole of that distance. 
The valley resembled that of the Tf^aitotara on a large 
scale. The slopes up to the table-land were further 
removed, the groves of trees more extensive and of 
larger timber, and the river averaged a hundred yards 
in width. About twelve miles above Putikiwaranui, 
however, the hills close in and the river winds among 
scenery as majestic as that of the highlands of the 
Hudson. In some places, hills eight hundred or a 
thousand feet in height, clothed with every variety 
of forest timber or fern, with beetling crags peeping 
out in places, slope down to the water's edge. Pic- 
turesque gardens and small settlements were perched 
on the banks, or half-way up the ascents ; and many 
canoes, laden with food for the fishermen, glided 
gracefully down the river. As we met, kind greet- 
ings were addressed to the chief and his White man, 
and often a basket of cooked birds or other food 
was handed into the canoe. The weather, too, im- 
proved as we increased our distance from the sea ; and 
at length no wind could be felt, and the fleecy scud 
drifting along overhead was the only sign that the 
gale continued. On arriving at a considerable village 
