Chap, I. CLIMATE. 19 
to compare it with the south of Spain. He only 
qualified this opinion by asserting that so full-bodied 
a wine could not be grown here ; but that he would 
answer for one like the light wines of Germany or 
eastern France. This part of the island, well out of 
the funnel formed by Cook's Strait, is free from the 
rushing currents of wind which almost always blow in 
the neighbourhood of Wellington, one way or the 
other. There, too, the broken nature of the country, 
rising into lofty and irregular pinnacles close to the 
sea, in the projecting tongue of land which contains 
Port Nicholson and Palliser Bay, causes the prevailing 
westerly wind to puff in squally and uncertain gusts. 
All along the uniform country between Otaki and 
Taranaki, a land-breeze prevails during the night and 
early in the morning, and is generally followed by a 
sea-breeze which tempers the heat of the day ; but both 
are moderate and steady in their action. Whole days 
of cloudless calm and light breezes prevail in summer 
as well as winter ; and violent gales are of rare occur- 
rence. The difference in temperature is but little be- 
tween winter and summer : there is perhaps more rain 
in the winter months. But in all the country near 
Cook's Strait, the climate may be called showery rather 
than rainy. Rain is often heavy for a time ; but 
rarely obtains dominion over the weather for more than 
two or three days. And everything dries quickly in 
the fine-weather intervals ; so that though it is rare 
to be a fortnight without rain all through the year, 
there is no complaint of excess of wet, and you never 
hear the question asked which so often meets you in 
England, " When shall we have some fine weather ?" 
The lawless state of the place became daily more 
annoying. I had to lash my cook, who had travelled 
hither with the Taupo party, and who delighted in 
c 2 
