DESCRIPTIVE KARR AT I YE OE JOURNEY. 61 
On the list of August I reached the Mokihinui, a large stream 
which can only be crossed in a mokihi (a kind of raft formed of 
bundles of flax-sticks tied together), and at which we camped. 
Here the cretaceous formation again commences, and instead of 
the sandy beaches, which for the last twenty-five miles formed an 
easy road, we found wild precipitous cliffs, over and round which 
the traveller has to make his way, with here and there only small 
sandy beaches occurring at irregular intervals. I continued to 
limp along, but fortunately every day my foot became stronger. 
After twelve miles’ walking over this rugged shore, the scenery 
of which however was very beautiful, we arrived at the foot of 
the Otahu-hill, which we had to ascend, as its sea slopes were too 
abrupt to permit of our proceeding along the coast. The ascent 
is a very steep one, and it was dark when we reached the top, 
where we camped. From the position of this mountain I was 
convinced that it would make a good topographical station, for 
which reason I determined to remain there the next day; but, 
after going all round it, I found to my regret that the height of 
the trees on its summit prevented me from getting a view, and as 
it would have cost us at least eight days’ hard work to clear a 
sufficient space upon the summit, so as to have a view of the 
surrounding country, I selected the highest tree I could find, on 
the top of which I established my station. This I did by con¬ 
structing a sort of nest in the uppermost branches, supported by 
poles fastened to the branches below. To ascend the tree we 
constructed a ladder, which we finished in five hours, and I 
ascended to my observatory, the view from which was very ex¬ 
tensive and splendid. I overlooked the river beds of the Mokihi¬ 
nui, Tunipohu, Wanganui, Otumahana, and Karamea, and the 
level land of the last-mentioned river. The mountains rose around 
me in all directions, and I observed with pleasure the peaks of 
Mount Arthur towering above the chains to the eastward. It 
was not without great perseverance that I managed to get the 
necessary bearings, having to tie the compass legs to a branch, 
whilst the wind frequently moved my observatory bodily to 
and fro. 
Descending the hill next morning by a slippery watercourse, we 
met with Mr. Burnett at the mouth of the Tunipohu stream, where 
he had camped with his patient for the last eight days. For¬ 
tunately the man’s foot was so much better that we were able to 
proceed. After having passed for three miles over huge blocks of 
limestone, and round precipitous headlands, we camped that night 
at the mouth of the Wanganui. It is here that the level country 
of the Karamea begins. 
It rained during the night and the whole of the next day, so 
that the series of beautiful days that we had lately enjoyed were 
again over. Anxious, however, to proceed, we started in the 
middle of the day, a fine hard sandy beach permitting us to walk at 
