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DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
On reaching the place at which we had left our tent, well 
pitched and secured round in order to protect the provisions, we 
found that it had disappeared, and in its place a very mce an 
well covered whata (provision store) erected by Mr. Kochlort s 
native labourers. In a note which he had left, he informed me 
“ that he had observed that the rats and wekas had found their 
way into my tent, and that as it was not tight enough to protect 
the stores sufficiently from the rain, he had thought it proper to 
secure them by building the whata.” It is scarcely necessary to 
say that I and my whole party felt very much gratified by this 
act of kindness. 
Preparing everything for an early start next morning, I 
ascended the grassy terrace which forms the principal portion of 
the plains of the Ohine-taki-taki, which run several miles inland, 
and over which we walked in many directions, establishing a 
topographical station on their western side. 
Several of my party, who had suffered very much during our 
stay at the pah, in consequence of the weakened state of their 
stomachs, had recovered, but I myself now began to feel the 
effects of our previous starvation. I felt great pain, and was un¬ 
able to eat, or rather to keep anything on my stomach for several 
days; but by adhering to a low diet I soon recovered, and, like 
the rest of my party, again enjoyed my meals. Our canoe was 
very small, and in bad condition, so that it was impossible to 
remove everything at once to the junction of the Mawhera-iti, 
where I intended to establish my head-quarters ; so we were com¬ 
pelled to leave some things behind, which had to be taken up on 
our second trip. 
On the 4th of April we reached the Otututu, and saw Mr. 
Eochfort and his men surveying at a short distance from us : a 
strange but pleasant sight m this solitary country. AV^e very 
soon came up with him, and our meeting was a hearty one on both 
sides. ¥e continued together as far as the junction of the 
Mawhera-iti, where we intended to camp for a few days, and to 
build a substantial whata, to preserve our provisions from the 
rain and the rats. 
The nest day, during which all the men were occupied in felling; 
trees squaring timber, and collecting manuka bark for the whata 
I explored, accompanied by Mr. Eochfort, the Mawhera-iti for 
two miles upwards, and we were gratified at finding level country 
and fertile soil up the valley of this river. When the whata was 
so far finished that Mr. Eochfort’s party alone could complete it, 
I sent three of my men down to the Ohine-taki-taki to fetch up 
tne remaining provisions. l 
t] 'V iver on t}ie 7th of April, and as 
cS^T I had n °! y ret wv d ’ I ° 1 ccu P ied myself (it being a fine 
is wpS m makl ? g a sketc1 ' of . the country around us. Here, 
aS WeU as ever y where else, during our journey, except in the 
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