40 
DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF JOURNEY. 
cut. After several miles’ walk over swampy grounds, once covered 
with dense forest, as was proved by the presence in them of 
numerous stumps of large burnt trees, we found the river turn 
towards the north-west. Another small branch, flowing from the 
north, had been followed by Mr. Eochfort, leading him into a 
dense forest, composed of different species of the pine family. 
Towards evening we came up with him, a few miles from the 
saddle, and we had once more the pleasure of camping together. 
Here his line ceased, and we had to continue our own route, 
following one of the branches towards the north-east. We 
camped at the foot of the small ridge forming the watershed 
of the Buffer and Grey, intending to cross it early next morning, 
and reach the Inangahua in the middle of the day. But we were 
cruelly deceived; heavy rain set in again, and lasted from the 
evening of the 1st May, to the morning of the 6th. 
I shall not attempt to describe our feelings of annoyance at 
being, again kept in the tent, unable to move, our provisions 
diminishing rapidly, and what was most tiresome, the probability 
of being compelled to return without having reached the Inangahua. 
Even when the rain ceased for half an hour it was impossible to 
move, on account of the deep saturated moss under foot, the wet 
bushes, and the dripping of the trees above, which very soon wet 
us through and through. 
I employed this time, having fortunately a change of clothes 
very much patched and worn it is true, in collecting botanical 
specimens, working at my sketches, and painting "the fung 
collected m our neighbourhood. We all, believing that the 
winter season was always the same here, thought the"climate of 
the West Coast most horrid, and I could not but concur with one 
my party, who proposed to change its name to Wet Coast. 
After three days idleness I could no longer stinrl if ,j 
?oXue ( f t t heref0re i° Mr ‘ Burnett that > notwithstanding the rain 
continued to pour down m torrents we sbmiUf v tn..f +- Mi n j 
ascend the saddle, in order to examine it. This we did "an/if ^ 
a very wet business. we dld > ancl xt was 
Fortunately, when we reached the saddle the elmirl. + 
cTuW EL U We°X°omeT e . d t *, S,10rt time > ^ ™ 
only a little Hour left, m when, onThe^Sth MayblT*' • ^ M 
we began to retrace our steps, and after a few ^ eeased ’ 
at a spot where, a week ano wo wi ‘ n U)lll ’ s walk arrived 
We found him 4^0, S hfhad no'Hf d 1? Eochfort - 
although his stock of provisions was net 11 aWe to move ’ and 
shared it with us. In the evening we camnS^ne ^ 
large streams coming from the ca ™ped near one of the 
distant from the junction of the^awhera^ti ’ ab ° Ut twdve miles 
“ d * he f0ll °™S *** "' e ’ “ uothinfbutMin, t,t£ 
