DESCRIPTIVE HARR ATI YE OE JOTXRHEY. 
IB 
were enabled to secure our foothold, otherwise we could not 
possibly have passed the rocky cliffs which bordered the river, 
and around which it broke foaming and roaring. 
After ten miles hard walking (a truly Herculean. task), we 
reached a turn of the river, and came upon an open basin, covered 
with manuka and koromiko, through which the river ran in several 
channels. As evening was fast approaching, and the native 
informed us that we had still far to go, we determined to camp. 
Mr. Mackay, and the Maori with him, having nothing to carry but 
their blankets, proceeded to the junction, which he reached late at 
night, after a hard scramble through the forest, and occasionally 
wading in the river. We had now no provisions left, so there was 
not much trouble in getting supper. Hearing, shortly after 
camping, one of my men shouting with joy, I almost thought that 
he had discovered a golden nugget upon the river’s bank; I soon 
learned, however, that it was a weka (woodhen) which he had 
caught; a second soon followed it, and it was not long before 
our meal was prepared and vanished. 
The next morning, February 2, at eight o’clock, Mr. Alexander 
Mackay arrived, having made seven miles through the bush to 
bring us some provisions, for which kindness I shall always remain 
indebted to him. He conducted us back, for the first two miles, 
over the open tract of land on the river’s ban]?:, and then through 
the bush, where we found a good blazed line, which brought us, 
after a walk of some hours, to the open terraced fern flat at the 
j unction of the Hi vers Rotoroa and Eoto-iti. The weather, for the 
last five days, had been very fine, and for some days more con¬ 
tinued so. My first object was now to look over the stores, and I 
found that, having spent so much time at the lakes, and having 
had to go twice over the same ground, the provisions left would 
not last us until our arrival at the Grey. As I intended ascending 
Mount Murchison for observations, and as this would occupy me 
a few days, I sent four of my men to Mr. Hooker’s, at Motueka 
valley, for flour. 
The next morning Mr. Mackay started for the Grey; and it was 
not without regret that I saw him leave, as, besides being an 
excellent bushman, he had been an agreeable companion lor the 
last fortnight. I, however, arranged that I should follow in his 
track, and give a fair account of the road he should select for 
the purpose of uniting Nelson with its so long neglected West 
Coast. 
I may here add, that having, besides my geological researches, a 
topographical map to construct, I could not travel so fast as I 
would have wished. This will always be a great drawback to the 
scientific exploration of a densely wooded country, where nothing 
worthy of notice in the shape of provisions can be obtained, 
and where you have to depend entirely oil what you carry for 
supplies. 
