DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OP JOURNEY. 
63 
bluff, tbe road leads over a bill from 600 to 700 feet high, through 
dense vegetation, and then descends, by a steep and rapid water¬ 
course, to the beach on the northern side of the bluff, which on 
this side also is beaten by the roaring waves. After walking 
another mile on the sand, the shore again became rocky, compel¬ 
ling us frequently to climb over rugged granitic headlands and 
large boulders. This continued for several miles, until we neared 
the \V hakapoai, or Heaphy river. Before reaching it we again 
found secondary limestones lying upon the granitic rocks, through 
which small streamlets had forced their way, cutting through 
them, and leaving perpendicular Avails on both sides, on the tops 
of which AA r hole groves of the nikau palms spread their graceful 
forms. During this day I had observed a considerable change in 
the vegetation, which had become more luxuriant. 
We soon reached the valley of the Whakapoai river, on the 
southern side of which a small flat of drift-sand has been formed. 
Upon its northern side high limestone cliffs ascend abruptly, both 
from the river and from the sea shore. As there is no ford near 
the sea, we had to ascend the river for half a mile, partly over 
sand, partly over rugged rocks, to a little fall. We found the 
water deep, reaching nearly to our armpits. Having examined 
the river bed for another mile upwards, we again started forward, 
and ascended a steep and densely wooded hill between 600 and 
700 feet high, from which we obtained a very fine inland view 
over the Whakapoai valley, which contains some good and well- 
timbered level land, and over the mountain ranges bounding it on 
both sides. The descent from this hill was very steep, its sea¬ 
ward side presenting picturesque cliffs nearly 800 feet in perpen¬ 
dicular height. It is at this point that the most difficult part of 
the coast journey begins, and it is almost impossible to describe 
in words the wildness of the scenery. Having walked two 
miles from the foot of the mountain, we camped near a clear 
streamlet. 
Starting the next morning, the 12th of August, our route 
passed over rocky points, with small sandy beaches betw een, 
whilst just before us lay the bold promontory of Taura-te- 
Weka, which we reached at noon. Between this pro¬ 
montory and the main range is a small ridge about 100 feet 
hmh, covered here and there with flax hushes and grass ; this 
we had to ascend, and although it offered barely suflicient 
space for a footing, I established a topographical station upon it. 
It was not without great trouble that our giddy companion was 
got up the ridge; he actually refused to proceed, and lay down 
upon finding that on the northern side the hill was very steep ; so 
that after having carried down our own loads, we were obliged to 
re-ascend the hill to fetch him. In one place, where it is neces¬ 
sary to make use of a slippery crevice in the side of the rock, 
which for about thirty feet falls perpendicular, with nothing to 
