68 
DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
crossing the hills to the open sea coast, where I climbei over the 
rugged rocks for several miles both to the north and sout 1 , b\ 
which I soon gained a clear insight into the geological character 
of this district. . 
The weather, which during the last few days had been showery, 
again became very loul, and for two days we had nothing but 
hail, torrents of rain, and heavy gales of wind, which compelled 
us to stop in the whare. This was not at all pleasant to men who 
had so long lived in and breathed the pure fresh air, for the whare, 
amongst its other defects, was very smoky. I tried, during the 
afternoon of the 20th August, to get over again to the southern 
side of the harbour, but the gale was so fierce that we found it 
impossible to do so. 
On Tuesday, the 21st of August, we started with the earliest 
dawn, although it still rained and blew heavily from the south¬ 
ward. After a very muddy walk of three hours, we reached the 
Pakawau river, and arrived at Mr. Flower’s house at the town¬ 
ship itself in the afternoon, visiting on our way both the old and 
the new coal works. It was pleasant to us, after an absence of 
eight months, again to see a European house, surrounded by a 
garden and fields, and to enjoy a hearty meal prepared for us by 
our hospitable host. Here I separated from my party, whom I 
sent on to Collingwood, whilst I proceeded to Mr. James 
Mackay’s farm, from whence I intended to visit Cape Farewell 
and the sandspit. 
I was received by Mr. Alexander Mackay, whom I had seen 
last in the Mataki-taki plains, with cordiality and kindness ; and 
the next day being fine, we started, accompanied by Mr. Fletcher, 
to the sandspit and Cape Farewell, which latter I thoroughly 
examined. It was not without emotion that I gazed at the mag¬ 
nificent panorama which lay before me, as I stood on the summit 
of the bold headland of Cape Farewell, embracing as it did 
D’Urville’s Island, the Pelorus mountains, Separation Point, and 
the high snowy chain at the head of the Takaka and Aorere 
valleys. It was here, too, that I bade farewell to the country 
through which I had so long journeyed, and which, though at 
present a useless wilderness, I hoped soon to behold the seat of 
flourishing settlements, its plains and terraces the pasture ground 
of sheep and oxen, whilst the pick of the miner was bringing into 
use the enormous wealth of its coal-fields. 
On the 23rd of August I reached Collingwood, but not finding 
any vessel for Nelson, I devoted a day to the examination of the 
gold-field in Lightband’s and G-olden gullies; and at length, 
on the 28th of August, returned to Nelson by the cutter 
Supply. 
In concluding this part of my report, it is an agreeable duty to 
me to express my thanks to Mr. J ames Burnett, and to the men 
of my party, for their hearty exertions in furthering the objects of 
