DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF JOURNEY. 21 
was only while walking in the river bed that we caught sight 
of the sun, the dense forest always forming a dark green roof 
above us. But this also had its charms, for at early dawn we were 
awakened by numerous feathered songsters, with their harmonious 
notes, whilst during the day the quarrelsome kakas amused us 
with their cries, and many coloured birds hopped and flew hither 
and thither around us, as if inquiring what intruders disturbed the 
quiet of their forest home. During the early night the cries 
of the owl and the kiwi resounded through the tranquil woods, 
and a few beams of the moon threw their silver light upon our 
tents through the overhanging foliage. It was always a happy 
moment with us when the tent was pitched, a large fire burning 
before it, and the day’s work finished. 
The Maruia winds very much in its course, its valley becomes 
more open previously to reaching the plains, but, as we ascended 
it, it diminished considerably in volume, owing to the number of 
tributaries we had left behind us. During this day (the third of 
March) we crossed it at least twenty times, the terraces of the 
plain appearing nearer to us as we advanced, and their vegetation 
having been burnt off by our predecessors, we could easily judge 
of their extent. On leaving the plains the river makes a sharp 
and long easterly turn : we ascended a steep terrace, 150 feet high, 
on its western bank, working our way through a mass of supple¬ 
jack, closely interwoven with wild irishman and other plants. We 
had now a splendid view all around us. Several grassy terraces 
rose one above the other to a height of from 200 to 250 feet above 
the river, and formed a basin from three to four miles broad, and 
from twelve to fourteen miles long, surrounded by high rocky 
mountain chains. In a valley on the eastern side, intersecting 
these terraces, we camped, and enjoyed exceedingly the pure air, 
the deep blue sky above us, and the beauteous mountain scenery 
around us. 
In order to examine more closely the mountains on the western 
side, and to establish a topographical station, I determined to 
remain here for one day. I was always anxious, when practicable, 
to give a spell to my party, who, notwithstanding that now and 
then we caught an eel, with an occasional weka, began to feel the 
effects of half-rations ; they complained very much of hunger, felt 
very weak, and I must confess, that I had to do my best to 
conceal the fact, that I felt in much the same condition. 
The next morning I ascended the highest terrace to take the 
necessary bearings. The rocky chain, which, from the Mataki-taki 
plains, we had seen lying to the south, now appeared in the north. 
Between it and the serrated mountain chain lying to the south¬ 
ward (behind which the Mataki-taki flows) a large opening 
appeared, through which ran the principal tributary of the Maruia, 
joining it at the northern extremity of the plain. This mountain 
chain continued from the north towards the south, forming at the 
I 
