\6% ADVENTUKE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VI. 
more than nine days and nights entirely without rain. 
As this is just the grain harvest time in New Zealand, 
nothing could be more seasonable ; and refreshing rains 
fell at the end of February to save the pasture on the 
hills from parching, and to keep the potato-crop from 
injury. 
Mr. Stokes had made another excursion to the 
f'Fairarapa plain ; and confirmed the former good 
accounts of its extent and capabilities. 
Two landmarks had been put up at the heads of the 
harbour. One, a three-sided wooden pyramid with open 
sides, about 70 feet high, on Pencarrow Head, was 
blown down by a gale of wind soon after ; this had 
been put up by public subscription. Another, on the 
highest peak between the mouth of the harbour and 
Lyall's Bay, was more securely fixed by Colonel Wake- 
field's orders, and remains in its place to this day. It 
consists of four tun butts, then three, then one, piled 
above each other, filled with stones and painted white, 
with a flag-staff on the top. I have distinguished 
this beacon with a glass from eight or ten miles to 
seaward. 
The Brougham, after making a passage of 92 days 
last year to London with her cargo of oil and bone, had 
returned on the 9th of February with a new Chief 
Surveyor for the Company, Mr. Brees, who superseded 
Captain Smith. He was accompanied by a large suite 
of young gentlemen, engaged by the Company for three 
years as " Surveying Cadets." I had met two or three 
of these on the Forirua road when 1 came in to town, 
with labourers and theodolites, and other baggage, 
starting for the Manawalv. I remember laughing at 
their dandified appearance, and wondering what new 
arrivals had thus suddenly and without preparation 
taken to the l)ush. Everything about them was so 
