DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
27 
forest, which was largely intermixed with rimu, totara, ka 1 a ea, 
and other valuable trees. After a short time, the forest on e 
northern hank was replaced by grassy terraces anc arge open 
tracts of country, with low hills visible here, and ere, is 
smilum country being bounded by a distant chain running nor 
and south as far as the eye could reach. Having passe over 
a large open tract of land, upon which we travelled about ten 
miles, I looked for the Mawhera-iti, and soon saw a small river 
mining the main one. But notwithstanding it appeared to agree 
with the description in Mr. Brunner’s journal, and with Mr. 
Mackay’s sketch map, we could find no signs of the provisions 
which we ought to have found here. It was with anxiety that we 
looked all around us, often fancying that some mark in a tree 
indicated the desired spot; but we were disappointed. 
We now continued our route close to the river bank, so as not 
to miss any river flowing from the north; and, after another mile’s 
walk, reached the Otututu, a tributary of the. Grey, flowing from 
the north. My whole party, without exception, contended that 
the first river we had passed could not be the Mawheia-iti, and 
that we had still to go some distance in order to reach it, and felt 
assured that at every turn of the river it would appear. 1 JRRst 
confess that it grieved me to disappoint. them, seeing, as i did, 
that the Grey, which till now had flown in a westerly direction, 
with a slight northern trend, here turned to the south-west, and 
that we were gradually nearing the gorge or break m the moun¬ 
tains in that direction. , . , , 
After having crossed the river four times (which had now be¬ 
come very difficult, owing to the large body of water), we camped 
on its eastern side. Our circumstances caused my men to become 
serious, and, although anxious to do so, I could not succeed in 
introducing a joyful spirit into the camp. „ , , 
I looked with interest at the numerous tracks ot the wild dog, 
which here abounded on the sand, and would have much liked to 
have caught one, which I should have eaten without tearing the 
nickname of kai-kuri (dog-eater), applied by the natives to the 
first explorer of this country. 
Before starting the next morning (the 18th of March), we P ar_ 
took of our last meal ot flour and water, and notwithstanding that 
I had, as I conceived, clearly proved to my party that we had 
passed the Mawhera-iti, they would not believe it. Ihe fine 
weather had, during the night, been succeeded by heavy ram, 
which now poured down in torrents. In the next tew mites we 
crossed the river (which had become very broad and deep) several 
times, looking about anxiously for signs of our provisions. Un¬ 
fortunately my spy-glass had been so often wet, that it had 
become useless, and owing to the thick mist we had great diffi- 
cnltv in discerning objects at any distance, our eyes being all we 
had to trust to We were now on the eastern side of the river, 
