Chap. IV. SLOW PROGEESS. 93 
the number of about 35, men, women and children. 
We pulled down four miles to the place where a 
tributjiry, called Manganm, or " large branch," flows 
into the Wanganui. This we ascended about two 
miles, the natives jumping out and tracking the canoes 
up rapids, several of which had a fall of six feet. The 
Manganui also runs between cliffs, nearly 200 feet in 
height, and is inhabited as far up as we went that 
night. We encamped at a settlement called Moe" 
awatea, or *' Sleep-in-the-day-time," and proceeded the 
next morning, after crossing the river twice immediately 
above, through hilly forest-land for about five miles. 
Here the boys were tired with their heavy loads, and 
stopped in a patch of fern for the night. But it would 
be tedious to relate each day's journey separately. 
Suffice it to say that, although I had been told it was 
but two days' walk from the TVanganui to Taupo, at 
noon on the 23rd the natives said it was still two or 
three days' walk. We had proceeded but slowly. 
Our path lay chiefly along the valley of the Manganui, 
which keeps an average of two miles wide, and is inter- 
sected by a deep cleft in which the river runs. Many 
parts of the valley are clear, and in some places we 
passed over small plains of grass ; in others, we plunged 
into the forest, and crossed steep ridges, apparently in 
order to avoid circuitous bends of the valley. We had 
forded the river five times ; and the assistance of the 
natives was most welcome in overcoming the difficul- 
ties occasioned by the rapidity of the stream, and the 
slippery rocky footing. This road must be perfectly 
impassable in winter, when the river is swollen by 
freshets. The heavy loads had made our progress very 
slow : so that the potatoes began to run short, and 
they all stopped to dig fern in one of the open places. 
Fortunately the river abounded with a kind of bird 
