94 ADVENTtmE IN NEW ZEAIAND. Chap. IV. 
between a coot and a widgeon, called wio, of which we 
shot about half-a-dozen at each ford. 
I now selected two natives to carry my tent and 
bedding, and Mr. Niblett and I determined to push on 
by a forced march. We accordingly left the rest to 
roast fern to their heart's content, and bring up the 
heavy baggage at their leisure. We had only per- 
formed 36 miles, according to rough calculation, since 
leaving Moe-awatea. 
The greater part of the course of the valley has been 
formerly occupied, and since abandoned, by the tribes 
who, leaving Taupo and other parts of the interior, 
gradually migrated to Wanganui, and have now fixed 
their residence on its banks. Every day we were 
shown the sites of ancient pas, and the fields on which 
numerous battles had been fought in the olden time 
between the different tribes from ff^anganui, Taupo, 
Waikato, and even the Ngatikahuhunu of the east 
coast. 
We pushed on about six miles more to-day through 
forest, and encamped at dark under an old rata tree of 
renown, which glories in the name of Korako. We 
had forded the river twice ; and ascended its bank the 
last time by means of a rickety kareau ladder, al)out 
30 feet high, which is fixed to the cliff' at the exact 
spot where a small waterfall spouts over the edge, and 
renders the ascent far from safe or pleasant. 
It rained moderately all night and poured at day- 
light ; but we had now no other alternative than to 
push on, defying the weather. Ten miles, over a level 
table-land covered with wood, brought us to the Man-' 
ganui, where it is swollen by three smaller streams. 
We descended at least 1500 feet to the stream, crossed 
it and two of its tributaries, and then ascended a 
ragged ridge, to the opposite bank of the dark, deep 
