42 
DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF JOURNEY. 
had not much to fear from drift trees, often of enormous size, 
which everywhere were lying in the shallower places near its 
edges. Three miles below the Otututu, where the river makes a 
sharp bend towards the west, turning again alter another half- 
mile towards the east, we found its bed much changed, the great 
flood having formed a new channel, through which the main river 
flowed, and towards which the current took our frail canoe. This 
was a moment of great anxiety and excitement. The river bed 
was here very narrow; all before and around us were breakers 
formed by the rushing of the torrent over snags, which encumbered 
the river in every direction. We travelled at the rate of ten 
miles an hour at the least, and all the skill and energy of the 
Maories were required to guide the canoe safely through: not a 
word was spoken, everyone looked before him, expecting each 
moment that the canoe would be dashed to pieces against a tree. 
Alter a few minutes’ suspense we again entered the broad current, 
having happily* passed the most dangerous spot. We stopped an 
hour at the junction oi the Ahaura, in order to make a sketch and 
take some bearings, and arrived at six o’clock in the evening at the 
mouth ol the river. Eut we looked in vain for some of the whares. 
Ihey were gone, and amidst the ruins, like Jeremiah amongst 
those of Jerusalem, stood Katarina, one of the two Maori women 
who had been left behind, singing a most doleful waiata, in which 
she described the flood, and its destructive eftects, finishing with 
the words “Awe, awe, kua riro te mira,” (Alas, alas, the mill is lost) 
vnich she considered the greatest misfortune they could sustain. 
Aot being able to re-ascend the river on account of the flood I 
stayed at the pah lor six days, during which Mr. Mackay with 
the greater part of the Maories, returned, and again noise and 
bustle began to reign. When the river had fallen sufficiently to 
enable me to re-ascend it for the purpose of making a minute 
examination of the coal-field it began to rain, which caused a fresh 
delay. It will be observed, that since we left the Grey I have no 
longer detailed the results of our bird and eel-catching efforts but 
as several explorers before me have given minute af counts con 
source! I^nk Tr *° tl T lr dafly M1 ° f fare del ™ d from these 
portmn of our bush life than to saf, that «a! ac uired °™ 
skill and experience in catching eels and snaring rvek s mrftbat 
Sc\fc“ d * he ^ ^ “ 
lurnb^ 8 to ^VeriSy Ttl plSC^Si; 
starting. Richard Kemp, the native, 
ieg from rheumatism, that I was obliged to leave him behind 115 
old Puaha Mr Malay’s native, went with us instead TL’rW 
mill ola do fall r rS ciently t0 enable t0 start, and after 
P da} and a-halt we reached the coal-measures. 
a 
