1218 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. vm. 
merous pigeons, and an occasional pig caught from 
the wild herds whose traces they were constantly 
observing, had for some days supplied them. A third 
attempt, ascending the Rimutaka nearly due west of 
the middle of the lake, was more successful ; and they 
found their way to the head of the Pakiritahi, a small 
tributary of the Hutt running northward for five 
miles. It joins the Hutt about 15 miles from the 
beach at Pitone. Descending the courses of the tri- 
butary and the main stream, they at length arrived 
at the house of Mr. Mason, the most distant out-set- 
tler in the lower valley of the Hutt, on the 7th of 
June, 32 days after they had started from the survey 
station at the Manawatu. 
They arrived half starved and nearly worn out 
with fatigue, with but a few rags left on their backs. 
I met some of them on the road between Wellington 
and Pitone the same evening ; and they certainly did 
look most miserable objects, although they had pro- 
cured a change of clothing from their friends on the 
Hutt. 
Great credit was due to them for the perseverance 
which they had shown in attaining their object. They 
started from the survey station with only a week's pro- 
visions ; and had only the clothes on their backs when 
they left the Manawatu, after paying the natives who 
had poled the canoes up. More than once, the 
men and the natives had despaired of reaching Wel- 
lington, after repeatedly losing their way in the 
eastern gorges of the Rimutaka ; and during several 
days before reaching the settlements, they had lived 
on the wild cabbages which they found near the 
banks of the river. But Mr. Kettle had encou- 
raged them to proceed, by his example as well as 
his cheerful spirit. Wet through during nearly the 
