Chap. IX. INLAND JOURNEY. 227 
impressed with the very chieftain-like bearing of TVa- 
tanui. While he is known as a renowned leader in 
war, he has also the reputation of great mildness and 
justice. He reminded me much of Heuheu in his 
kingly and herculean person, and his thorough gen- 
tlemanly manner. 
I proceeded by an inland path to the banks of the 
Manawatu, which we struck at a place called Ara- 
tangata^ or " Man's Path," about four miles below the 
spot where Lewis had built his schooner. 
TVatamd has some potato-grounds here, in which 
we found his eldest son Billy ; who lent me his canoe 
to go down to the mouth of the river. Here an 
English lad, who had lost both his arms by an acci- 
dent with a cannon on board the Cuba, kept a house 
of entertainment and a ferry. 
I am almost tired of describing fine districts of 
country. Suffice it to say, that the level tract which I 
had passed over between the Ohau and the ManawatUy 
about five miles from the coast, was as promising and 
as beautiful as any that I had yet seen, consisting of 
alternate wood and fine pasture land, with occasional 
swamps only waiting to be drained to be as available 
as any of the drier country. 
I was accompanied from Manawatu to Rangitikei 
by the wnfe and brother of Taratoa, the chief whose 
acquaintance I had made in so curious a way on my 
last walk from TVanganui. As the rivers were 
swollen, and it had been reported that no natives were 
at the mouth, I accompanied these people to their 
pobito-grounds about six miles up the eastern bank, 
opjtosite to the joa of the Ngatiupa. They behaved with 
great kindness and regard towards me ; and I got a 
canoe from the other side, wished them farewell, and 
crossed over to the village. Here the whole of the 
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