DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
41 
and tempests, so violent in fact that we had great difficulty in 
securing our tent, which we feared every moment would be blown 
to pieces. The river near our tent became a torrent, and although 
the rain ceased during the night, we did not conceive it possible to 
continue our journey next day. This we did, however, although it 
was not without considerable difficulty that we crossed the river 
and the many smaller streams, which, like torrents, rushed down 
from the mountains. We arrived at last at the Mawhera-iti, 
which we had to cross ; for a moment we stopped, and looked at 
the dirty swollen river before us, hut as it again began to rain 
slightly I was determined to try and get over. In order to do 
this, we availed ourselves of an old Maori plan, by which they 
cross deep and rapid streams, and which was the only one that 
would enable us to make a way through the rushing waters. 
Instead of crossing over one by one with a stick, we took a long 
stick, upon which everyone placed both his hands, and then, 
entering the water at the place where we knew that the ford had 
been, we kept in one line with the river. The advantage of this 
method was very great, because the force of the dashing waters, 
instead of having to be surmounted by each, was more easily 
overcome by five, whilst the rolling stones carried against the feet, 
or which move when the feet are placed upon them, will often 
cause a single man to lose his footing, whilst in this manner they 
do no harm, as each protects the other from falling. But notwith¬ 
standing these advantages, it was not without the greatest 
exertions that we forded the river. At one place, where a small 
arm of the river had to be crossed, one of the Maories, a capital 
forder, tried to go alone, but although the water was not much 
above his knees he was washed down, and it was only by great 
exertions that he saved himself. 
Two miles below the junction we had still two fords to cross ; 
entering the water at the first of these it very soon reached our 
arm-pits, and we should have lost our footing had we attempted 
to proceed. We were therefore obliged to turn round and get 
hack again, which, as will he easily understood, we only ac¬ 
complished with the greatest difficulty. We then travelled 
through dense scrub for half a mile, after which we reached open 
hush, where we made better head way. It was nearly dark when 
we arrived at our old camp at the junction, where we enjoyed a 
good meal, and slept soundly after our day’s exertion and the wet 
and cold we had suffered. 
On the next day (the 9th of May) the weather cleared up. The 
Grey was still very high, hut having already lost so much time I 
determined, after a short consultation with the natives, to start. 
It was twelve o’clock when we entered the canoe on our way 
down. We took the centre of the river, the rapid flow of which 
could best he appreciated by observing how quickly we passed the 
various jutting points. Keeping in the centre of the stream, we 
