DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
45 
showers could not extinguish it, and the tents dried as fast as 
they became wet. 
Mr. Bochfort having finished his survey at the Inangahua this 
day, came down the river; but, as he was not able to land, we 
could only greet each other with a few words cn passant. 
Behind the spot where we were camped rose a hill from 800 to 
1,000 feet high, separated from the main chain by a deep valley. 
Although the rocky cliffs satisfied me that it would be rather 
troublesome to ascend, we started, on the morning of the 28th of 
May, to reach the top, which was not accomplished without con¬ 
siderable difficulty, as in many places we had to climb up very 
steep walls. 
The weather was still cloudy, but I got a complete bird’s-eye 
view of the surrounding country, and of the level tract of forest 
which stretches between Lake Hoehstetter and Lake Brunner. 
Having ascertained that the coal-bearing strata continued without 
disturbance in the direction of our day’s march, and the rain 
again pouring down, I resolved to return to the pah instead of 
going, as I had previously intended, to Lake Brunner; for not 
only were our provisions partly spoiled, but it would have been 
impossible to reach the eastern bank of the Kotuku-wakaho 
stream, up which we should have had to go. We therefore, for 
the third time, went down the river in a fresh, and were again, 
by continued rain, detained at the pah till the 31st of May, when 
at last the weather cleared up and enabled us to say farewell to 
the Gfrey, and to start round the coast for the mouth of the 
Buller. 
We crossed the river on the 1st of June, and had a most mag¬ 
nificent view of the Southern Alps, the majestic appearance of 
which it is difficult to describe. From Kaimatau, on the southern 
bank of the Taramakau, the whole chain was visible; but above 
them all rose Mount Cook, named by the natives the Ahoa-rangi 
(Piercer of the clouds of Heaven), dressed as low as we could see 
in a garment of dazzling snow, and standing in bold relief against 
the blue sky. Further to the south, like ice-islands rising above 
the sharp line of the horizon, appeared the points of two other 
peaks, the whole illumined by a brilliant winter sun. 
It was with regret that we turned our backs upon this splendid 
scene, and continued our way towards Komatiki-tawao, a bold 
headland of cretaceous cliffs, over which we had to pass. After 
half an hour’s walk through bush, consisting of kie-kie, fern-trees, 
and nikau palms, we again took to the beach. There another 
splendid view lay before us towards the north; the Paparoha 
mountain chain reaching to the sea shore, and forming perpen¬ 
dicular cliffs, upon which, as well as upon numerous picturesque 
islands close to them, the sea was beating with fury, whilst just 
above the horizon appeared the low hills of the Miko. 
This view reminded me of some of the coast between Genoa 
