Chap. Vin. MR. KETl^LE'S EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 215 
tinued during June, the centre winter month, which 
rather resembled a fine English October in its pleasant- 
ijess of temperature. 
-r Towards the end of May, a sudden melting of the 
snows on the Tararua range had caused rather a high 
flood in the valley of the Hutt ; and in the middle of 
June there were a few days of rough gales and heavy 
rains. 
■f- The little steam-mill was grinding and sawing in- 
cessantly ; several experiments were on foot for invent- 
ing machines to prepare the phormium tencuv ; and a 
brewery was already established, although the hops 
had yet to be imported from Sydney, 
The Mechanics' Institute was in active operation, 
and lectures were delivered weekly on various subjects 
to respectable and attentive audiences. 
About the middle of June, Mr. Charles Kettle, who 
had been performing the duties of Assistant-Surveyor 
to the Company at Manawatu, returned to Wellington 
from an exploring journey into the interior. 
He was accompanied by Mr. Alfred Wills, one of 
the Cadets, and a small party of labourers to carry pro- 
visions and baggage ; and one of the principal chiefs 
of the Ngatiraukawtty named E Ahu, with some mem- 
bers of his family and two or three slaves, had acted 
as guides to the expedition. 
They had ascended the Manawatu to a considerable 
distance above the gorge between the Tararua and 
Ruahine ranges, which I have before spoken of as 
described to me by Jack Duff the trader. Striking to 
the east and south, they left the river, and crossed 
some of the low ridges in which the N.E. extremity 
of the Tararua terminates ; and from thence saw a 
vast extent oi mania, or grass plain country, interspersed 
^ith groves of timber, and watered by the tributaries 
