DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY, 
33 
higher grounds, the sand-flies became very troublesome, and 
sketching, mapping, or writing, during the day time, was really a 
torture ; but whether it was that my skin, by exposure day and 
night to the inclemency of the weather, had become insensible to 
this torment, I certainly could now write for hours with only the 
protection of a pocket handkerchief tied round my right hand, so 
as not to soil the paper with the blood drawn by these minute 
flying leeches. 
In the evening my men returned, and we prepared everything 
to start the next day for the Upper Grey, and for the ascent of 
the mountain. I had selected this mountain, called by Mr. 
Mackay Black-hill, lying on the southern side of the Grey be¬ 
fore it enters the plains, not only because it is situated in the 
middle of the eastern chain bounding the open country, but also 
because its round top and smooth sides seemed to be easy of 
access. Before starting, I had rather a stormy scene with the 
native whom I had engaged at the Mawhera pah, because I would 
not permit him to select his own load, but compelled him, as 
was fair, to take that which was determined to be his by lot. 
To this he would not submit, and seizing the paddles, he 
attempted to take the canoe, which did not belong to him. and 
return to the pah. It is scarcely necessary to assert that I 
objected strongly to his proceedings, and it was only after con¬ 
siderable time that I could bring him back to his duty. After 
having secured our canoe, we started up the river, taking ten 
days provisions with us, and from time to time crossing and re¬ 
crossing it in order to avail ourselves of the dry shingle beaches 
and grassy banks. . In the evening we reached Mr. Eochfort’s 
camp, and again enjoyed the pleasure of his company. 
Having, during the last ten days, continually waded in the 
river, the water of which had become much colder (the autumn 
nights being already somewhat sharp), we became very stiff and 
sometimes cramped in the evening. During the night two of my 
men fell suddenly ill of dysentery, and it was only after two days’ 
rest that they were sufficiently restored to continue the journey. 
This delay was disagreeable, because the weather was very fine, 
and we should otherwise probably have reached the mountain- 
top ; but as I had intended, during my return, to examine the 
grassy terraces which lie on both sides of the river where it enters 
the plains, I took advantage of this delay to do so now, so that 
these two days were not altogether lost. 
My two patients having at last so far recovered that we could 
start, we resumed our journey on the 11th of April, and it was 
not without pleasure that we followed our old track, remembering 
the sufferings we had undergone on our way down, three weeks 
before, and how anxiously we had looked for the junction of the 
Mawhera-iti. The two men being still, however, very weak, we 
made a short day’s work, and pitched our tent on the northern 
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