1851 - Cooper, G. S. Journal of an Expedition Overland from Auckland to Taranaki - [Pages 1-51]

JOURNAL

Of an Expedition Overland from Auckland to Taranaki, by way of Rotorua, Taupo, and the West Coast undertaken in the Summer of 1849-50, by His Excellency the GOVERNOR IN-CHIEF of New Zealand.

Wednesday, 5th December, 1849. --Having made all the necessary preparations, we embarked at two o'clock p. m. on board the Bishop's beautiful little yacht the "Undine," in which his Lordship had kindly undertaken to convey us as far as the anchorage of Tararu, near to the Mission Station of Kaweranga, at the mouth of the Thames, whither he was about to conduct the Rev. Mr. Lanfear, for the purpose of introducing him to the natives as their new Minister in succession to the Rev. Mr. Dudley, recently returned home. Thence we were to proceed up the Thames in a boat which was towed down, by the schooner for the purpose. Our party consisted of His Excellency Sir George Grey, K. C. B.; Lieutenant Symonds, Staff Officer of Pensioners; Mr. Cuthbert Clarke, artist; Mr. G. S. Cooper, Assistant Private Secretary; Pirikawau, a clerk m the Native Secretary's Office, as Interpreter; and Peter Brady, cook. The chief Te Heu Heu, of Taupo, who had travelled to Auckland for the express purpose of escorting the Governor on the projected journey, was also one of the

HAERENGA

Wenerei, te 5 o Tihema, 1849. --Ka oti katoa a matou mea te whakarite, ka eke ki te puke ataahua o te Pihopa, a te "Unerine," i te 2 o nga haora o te muri-awatea, I mea a te Pihopa mana matou e kawe ki te tauranga o Tararu, e haere ana hoki ia ko te kawe i a Te Ranipia ki Kauwaeranga hei Minita mo nga tangata Maori o tera kainga, no te mea, kua whiti ki Tawahi a Te Tutere, te Minita tawhito o ia wahi. Kei te Wahapu o Hauraki a Kauwaeranga, e tu tata ana a Tararu ki tera wahi. Ko nga tangata enei o te haere o te Kawana-- His Excellency Sir George Grey, K. C. B.; Lieutenant Symonds, Staff Officer of Pensioners; Mr. Cuthbert Clarke, artist; Mr. G. S. Cooper, Assistant Private Secretary; me Pirikawau, he kai-tuhituhi no nga whare o te Kawana, ko te kai-whakamaori ia o tenei haere; and Peter Brady, cook. Ko Te Heuheu, te rangatira o Taupo te kai-arahi i a te Kawana, i tenei haerenga, ko te mea tenei i haere mai ai

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party, which was completed by his train of wives and followers, and a few natives we had engaged in Auckland to do duty as baggage carriers. We were also accompanied by Captain Rough, Harbor Master, who was to return from the Thames with the boat, when she should have conveyed us as far as the river is navigable. It was a beautiful afternoon, with a fine breeze from the westward, before which the little vessel scudded merrily along and conveyed us to the bay of Te Huruhi on the S. W. side of the island of Waiheke by 4 o'clock. Here we anchored, and while dinner was being prepared, landed to see our friend William Jowett, who lives in this bay. The village is a wretched looking place, containing not more than 30 or 40 inhabitants, in an ill-constructed pa surrounded by a very small extent of cultivation. Hoete and his wife appeared very glad to see us, and brought us into their house, which is built of raupo, but in the shape of an English house, it was, however, sadly out of repair, but clean and neat, and contained some European furniture and other implements, which gave it a superior appearance to the generality of native houses. Poor Jowett was very ill, having been suffering for some time from pains and swelling of the limbs occasioned by eating putrid maize and other similar delicacies with which the natives are accustomed to regale their palates and ruin their constitutions. A komiti, or meeting, of women, was being held in another part of the pa, to which our attention was directed by the loud tones and energetic gesticulations of the

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taua rangatira ki Akarana, i tona kainga. I muri ratou, ko nga wahine, me nga pononga, me a matou kai waha kakahu, e haere mai ana. Ko Pene Rawhi hoki tetahi o matou, e ma roto ana hoki ta matou tira i te awa o Hauraki, ko te taenga ki te kuinga o te awa hoki ai a Pene Rawhi me tona poti. Humarie tonu taua muri-awatea, he hauauru te muri; tipitipi kau ana taua wahi puke i te ngaru o te moana, haere rawa ake ka taka te haora ki te 4, ka tatu te punga ki te koru o Te Huruhi, i te taha Auru-ma-Tonga o te motu o Waiheke. No te tahunga o te kai, ka haere matou kiuta kia kite i to matou hoa, i a Wiremu Hoete. Kino tonu te ahua o te kainga; etoru, ewha te kau ranei o te pa; kihai i rarahi nga ngakinga. Nui atu te hari o Hoete rao ko te hoa i te kitenga ai i a matou; arahina ana maua ki to raua whare. He raupo te whare, i penei me to nga Pakeha; i pai a roto, otiia, kua tawhito ke, he mea Pakeha to roto i te whare, ko te mea tera i ahua ke; ai i te tini atu o te whare Maori. I te mate a Hoete, pupuhi tonu nga wae, me nga ringa, i te kainga i te kanga kopuwai, me era atu mea penei; ko nga kai ia e reka nei ki te tangata Maori, a, he mate te tukunga iho mo te horomanga o era tu kai. I a matou i reira, ka kite atu i tetahi puni wahine e kowhetewhete ana. No te tatanga o matou ki

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speakers. On drawing near to see what was going on, it appeared that the topic was the usual subject of conversation amongst the gentler sex of all nations and complexions--to wit--articles of dress, the row having been occasioned by an accusation which one lady had brought against another of having stolen her petticoat. It ended, however, in the acquittal of the accused, and the conversation, as a matter of course, turned upon scandal, on which interesting topic the assembly was earnestly engaged when, we left them. We returned on board the "Undine" at 6 to dinner, and made a most excellent repast off some College fed mutton. After dinner we got under weigh, and again brought up at the eastern side of the island in Maxwell's Bay, also called Te Huruhi, at about 9 o'clock, when we had prayers, after which came the operation of stowing us all away in the small vessel, which required all the Bishop's skill and experience, acquired by long practice, to manage effectually. At length, however, the packing was completed; the maories and College boys in the hold, the boat's crew in the forecastle, and the remainder of the party in the cabin, some in the bunks, some on the floor, and others, including the Bishop himself, on the narrow side lockers.

Thursday 6th. --Got under weigh at 4 a. m., a beautiful morning and the birds singing sweetly--as they always do in the New Zealand woods--in the trees with which the shores of this pretty little bay are clothed. It is indeed a treat to a poor fellow who is generally confined in an office for the whole of his time

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taua puni, ka rangona, he kakahu te mea i kowhetewhete ai ratou. I meinga, i riro taua kakahu i tetahi o nga wahine, no te mutunga o nga whakahaerenga kupu, ka kitea, he whakapae teka. Te otinga o tenei korero, e kotete noa ana te ngutu ki nga rongo o tenei, o tera, a, waihotia iho e matou e korerorero ana ano. No te 6 o nga haora ka tae atu matou ki te "Unerine" ki te kai, he pirikahu nei tetahi wahi o te kai, i atawhaitia taua hipi e nga tangata o te Kareti. No te mutunga o te kai, ka hutia te punga, ka rere, a, te taha marangai o te motu, ko te roanga atu ia o Te Huruhi. No te 9 o nga haora ka tu, a, ka heke ki te karakia; muri iho ka ahu te whakaaro ki nga wahi e takoto katoa ai matou, he nohinohi hoki te puke. No te mea i taunga a te Pihopa ki te pera, i meinga ai e o katoa matou ki tera puke iti; nana hoki i whakarite te wahi mo tenei, mo tenei, a, oti noa tera mahi. Ko nga tangata Maori, me nga tamariki o te Karetu, i tukua ki te riu o te puke; ko nga kai-mahi i tukua ki te ihu; ko matou katoa i tukua ki te kei. Ko etahi ki nga moenga o te kei, ko etahi ki nga papa o raro, ko etahi ki runga ki nga nohoanga, i reira hoki a te Pihopa.

Taitei te 6. --No te 4 o nga haora o te ata, ka maiangi te punga. Humarie ana te takiri-

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to feel himself in the open world, surrounded by all the beauties of nature on a New Zealand summer's day, and far away from the dull monotony of official routine and the diurnal study of dry matters of every day business between the seldom varying hours of 10 and 4. The wind was very baffling, often dying away altogether and then springing up in light airs from all points of the compass, but mostly from the S. E., and as this was dead against us, we made but poor progress. We reached the Tararu anchorage, however, by about 4 o'clock, where having dined, we landed and set out to walk to Kaweranga Mission Station, which is situated at the head of a small creek called Mataparu. We left our bedding on the beach, to be carried after us by the natives, and the provisions and other heavy baggage to be sent round in the boat, which could not be done till about half past ten p. m., when the tide would have flowed sufficiently to float the heavy boat up the creek. Our walk was about three miles in length, nearly the whole of it over a beautifully cultivated flat, inhabited by a great number of natives, whose houses are scattered about in all directions in the midst of the cultivations. There is no pa. As we walked along, the Bishop introduced the Governor and Mr. Lanfear to the natives whom we met. They seemed very glad to see their new Minister, but his name was a dreadful puzzle to them --they at last hit upon "Ranapia," which was the nearest approach they could make to the sound of the English word. After many delays we at length reached the Mission house,

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tanga o te ra, a, ka rangona ki nga rau-rekau o taua koru,
"Nga manu korero-ata."
He pera tonu te tangi o te manu ki nga wahi katoa o Niu Tireni. Mama ana te ngakau i te tuhi, a, ka takahi te wae ki nga wahi rangatira o whakaaronga ai ka mahue atu nga mahi tuhi Niu Tireni i roto i nga ra houhou o te Raumati. Mama ana te ngakau, he mea hoki ka mahue te mahi hoha o te whare--te tuhituhi i roto i nga haora te 10, taka noa ki te 4 --a, ta ana te manawa ki nga wahi watea--ko te putanga ia ki te ao marama. Kahore he muri, kihai i tuturu; no te Marangai-ma-Tonga te muri i kaha, otiia, kihai matou i puta no te mea, i te ihu taua hau. No te 4 o nga haora ka tau te puke ki Tararu, no te mutunga o te kai, ka haere matou ki Kauwaeranga. Kei te kuinga o te awa o Mataparu te kainga o te Mihenere o tenei wahi. I waiho atu nga moenga ki tatahi, ma nga tangata Maori e kawe ake; ko nga kai, me era atu mea, i meinga, me kawe ake ma te poti. Ko te 10 1/2 o te haora pari ai te tai, ko reira puta ai te poti ki te awa o Mataparu. Te roa o te ara ki taua wahi, 3 maero; i ma roto matou i te mara, he ngakinga kautanga taua mania i haerea nei e matou; ko nga whare, e tu takitahi ana i waenga. Kahore he pa o tenei wahi. Na te Pihopa i

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which is prettily situated on a steep rise of about 150 feet from the head of the Mataparu Creek. It is a fine roomy wooden house, but in a sadly neglected state, the verandah being in fact in perfect ruins, windows broken, and bearing all the evidences of a long unoccupied house. The garden, which is very large, and was once a good one, is utterly gone to the dogs, or pigs rather, for we saw three enormous grunters tied by the leg in the midst of what had been a strawberry bed, and grubbing under the roots of a fine peach tree. There were a few peach and apple trees, and some figs, but they were being fast choked up by multiflora roses, sweet briars, &c, which have overgrown the garden. The chapel, which is situated about 300 yards from the house, is a large raupo building, with glass windows, but is fast falling to pieces, being almost roofless, and all the windows broken. It contains a very neat pulpit and communion table. The Bishop performed service here, concluding by delivering a short but impressive address to the natives, introducing their new Minister. Service being ended, we returned to the house, where the Bishop and Mr. Lanfear took leave of us, and we went inside to see what we could get to eat, having none of our own provisions with us. At first it appeared as if we should have rather an uncomfortable night of it, as --through some misunderstanding of the orders--Pirikawau, who was to have superintended the bringing on of the bedding, arrived without it, and the native caretaker of the house informed us that there was actually nothing to eat in the establishment. However,

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whakakitekite a te Kawana, raua ko te Mihenere hou ki nga tangata Maori; hari tonu taua hunga i te kitenga ai i to ratou Minita; ko te ingoa ia kihai i taea wawetia te whakahua, a, roa noa e mea ana, ka tapa e ratou, ko Te Ranapia. Roa noa ka tae matou ki te kainga o te Mihenere; e pai ana te tunga o tenei whare, kei runga i te kahiwi, runga atu o te hokikitanga o te awa. He nui te whare, ko te kino ia, nui atu --puare ana nga matapihi, titaritari ana te whakamahau; ko te ahua i pera me te whare mahue i nga wa o ko noa atu. Kua kahore ke te mara o taua wahi; etoru nga poaka i rokohanga e matou e haere ana i reira, e ketu ana i nga topere, i raro i te take o tetahi pititi ahua pai. He aporo ano i reira, he pititi hoki, otiia kua ururutia taua wahi i te mahi o te tataramoa Pakeha. I pahaki atu o te whare 300 iari e tu ana te whare-karakia. He raupo tera, he karahe nga matapihi; ko te kino ia, he aha koa i korerotia ai. Kua pakuru ke nga karahe, kua puareare te tuanui, a, kua tata ki te hinganga. E pai ana ia te purupiti o roto, me te tepu kai hakarameta. I karakia a te Pihopa ratou ko nga tangata i konei, mea atu ana ki a ratou kia atawhaitia to ratou Minita hou. No te mutunga o te karakia ka hoki matou ki te whare ki te kai; ko te Pihopa raua ko Te Ranapia i ahu ki ta raua haere. Ko Pirika-

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we packed off Mr. Pirikawau and the other natives for the bedding, and after a great deal of talking, &c, the caretaker managed to discover a small piece of bacon and a few antiquated potatoes, which his wife prepared for our supper, and to this he added a small quantity of tasteless tea, which was found in the Surgery, amongst a lot of gallipots and medicine bottles. This looked rather bad at first, but following the example of the Governor, who certainly seems to care as little as any man for the creature comforts, we put a good face on the matter, lit a tremendous fire in the sitting room, and with the help of an old chair, a kitchen form, two empty boxes, and light hearts, we managed to make it out pretty well after all. The bedding arrived at about 10, and we laid our blankets on the floor, and prepared to make the best of our position; but there was yet a difficulty to be overcome, the boat would soon arrive, full of provisions and very heavy, and if she remained in the creek all night we should be delayed till a late hour in the morning before she could be got out again. So it was determined that as soon as she arrived she should be sent off to a place called Te Kopu--about three miles distant by land, but nearly nine by water, and that by a very difficult creek, and amongst innumerable mud-flats--there to await us in the morning. About half past ten the boat arrived, and Mr. Rough and I went down to give the men their orders, at which the poor fellows grumbled not a little, and naturally enough, as they had already had a difficult pull of about five miles

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wau te kai arahi o te hunga kawe mai i nga moenga, otira, i haere kau mai ia, mahue katoa atu nga moenga me nga kai. No to matou rongonga ki te kai-tiaki o te whare, kahore he kai o reira, ka ketekete ki tenei mate o matou. Whakaaroaro ana, a, tonoa ana a Pirikawau ki te whakatau i te hunga waha mai i nga moenga. No te rapunga o te kai tiaki o te whare ka kitea tetahi poaka whakapaoa, me etahi riwai whewhengi; tahuna ana era hei kai ma matou. No te roanga o te rapunga, ka kitea te wahi ti, i roto i nga pounamu rongoa o taua whare. Kahore he ahatanga o te Kawana ki tenei korenga o te kai, ekore ia a te Kawana e mahara ki nga mea penei, he mea noa ano ki a ia; ko te mea tenei i oraora kau ai te whakaaro, ka ahu hoki ki a ia titiro ai hei tauira mo matou. Toia roroatia mai ana nga wahie, a, u-- te ahi; tangohia mai ana nga turu, me nga pouaka hei nohoanga ki te taha ahinaina ai. No te 10 o nga haora ka tae ake nga moenga, tukua ana nga hungahunga ki raro, mo te po. Otiia, kihai i tangi wawe te ihu, no te mea, kiano te poti kawe kai mai, i u noa i reira. Me he mea, i takoto matou, a, parangia tonutia iho, kua u mai te poti whai kai, a, ka waiho tonu i taua awa, penei, ekore e puta wawe i te aonga ake o te ra, e pakoa ana hoki te ? i

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up from the schooner. It was also necessary to engage a native to pilot the boat to Te Kopu, which after considerable difficulty we managed to do, and at length saw them fairly off, when we returned to the house, turned into bed, and notwithstanding all our difficulties, slept somewhat more comfortably than we had done on the previous night. Friday, 7th. -- Rose at four, and started for Te Kopu at a little before five. On the road, which runs across a swampy flat by the side of the river, we passed over the remains of a very large canoe called Tangaroa-whakaniwha. which had been destroyed and buried there several years ago, when the Ngapuhi under Hongi committed a terrible slaughter on the Ngatimaru and other neighbouring tribes at this very place. Found the boat at Te Kopu, with a canoe which we had engaged the day previously at Kaweranga, and, having breakfasted on the beach, started with the young flood up the Thames. At first the water was very low (being spring tides), and we grounded several times on the mud banks, which caused considerable delay. About a mile up the river we passed a fishing canoe, from which a kopapa shoved off with two natives in it, one of whom proved to be a man named John Prince, who speaks English; he has been to sea in a whaler, and has seen England. He said he would have offered to pilot us up the river, but had to attend to his cultivations. We bought two strings of eels from him for a little tobacco, and pulled on. Some distance further on, the native whom we took,

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reira. No te 10 1/2 o nga haora ka u mai te poti kai; haere iho ana maua ko Pene Rawhi ki te tono i nga tangata kia hoea atu ki Te Kopu. Te mamao atu o tenei wahi i to matou nohoanga 3 maero, ki te ara ra-uta --ki te ra te awa 9 maero, e kopikopiko ana hoki te awa, a, he wa tahuna kau. No te rongonga o te kai-hoe ka amuamu, meaha ua ratou he roa ke ta ratou hoenga mai i te puke. Tonoa ana tetahi tangata Maori hei tohutohu i nga tahuna o te awa, tukua ana te poti ra kia hoe, haere ana ki te takoto, moe marire ana, a, ao noa.

Parairei, te 7. --No te 4 o nga haora ka maranga, no te 5 ka haere ki Te Kopu. He repo te ara atu ki Te Kopu; no te ahunga ki reira ka kitea tetahi wahi o Tangaroa-whakaniwha. He waka whakahara ia, i wahia ki reira, a, tanumia iho i nga wa kua pahure, i te tino marutanga o Ngatimaru i a Ngapuhi, i te taua a Hongi; i hinga te parekura ki te wahi e takoto nei nga maramara o taua waka. I roko-hanga te poti ki Te Kopu; e tau ana hoki i reira tetahi waka i whakaritea iho e matou kia hoea mai i Kauwaeranga. No te mutunga o te kai ka tiaia te hoe, ka pi kau te tai ki te awa o Hauraki. Kihai i ata puta, eke ana ki nga tahuna, kihai hoki i nui wawe mai te ia. Rotoroto atu ka kitea he waka hi ngohi, hoe mai ana he kopapa i taua waka, tokorua nga

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as a guide, pointed out a ti tree growing on the left bank of the river, by itself and close to the water's edge, This tree is called Te Hau-tu-pua, and is sacred; the natives say that when a chief of Ngatimaru dies, his spirit sits on the top of that tree for some days, and is heard by the native priests crying, from which noise they pretend to take omens. No one except the priests, however, ever hears them. The scenery on this part of the river is very pretty --the course of the stream being tortuous, and the banks wooded nearly all the way up, especially the left or western bank --and when you turn a bend in the river, and open up a fresh reach of from a quarter of a mile to a mile in length, the banks thickly wooded with trees of different shades of foliage, and the water calm as glass and reflecting the clear blue sky of a beautiful day in the middle of summer, the effect is extremely picturesque and pleasing. We passed Mr. Thorpe's house at about four o'clock and encamped on an uninhabited spot about half a mile further on, called Ngoiatoke. Here we were most cruelly persecuted by mosquitoes and sand-flies, which appeared as if they were determined not to lose an opportunity, evidently so rare, of having a feast; they bothered poor old Te Heu Heu greatly, who not being accustomed to the annoyance--(such a thing as a musquito or sandfly being quite unknown at Taupo)--did not know what to make of it, and at length fairly lost his temper. While dinner was preparing, two of the party went on in the canoe to Opita, about three miles further up the river, to try and get some potatoes,

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tangata ki runga. Ko Hone Piriniha te ingoa o tetahi o aua tangata, he matau ia ki te reo Pakeha; he kai wero tohora no mua, a, kua kitea e ia a Ingarangi. Na te raruraru ia ki ana ngakinga, penei, mana matou e whakataki haere. Hokoa ana nga tui tuna erua i a ia, hoe ana matou. No te taenga ki roto atu, ka tohutohu te kai arahi i a matou ki tetahi whanake, e tupu ana i te taha awa, ki maui. Ko Te Hau-tupua taua rakau, he rakau tapu. E meinga ana, ka mate te rangatira o Ngatimaru, ka rere te wairua ki te rito o taua ti noho ai, tangi ai; no te rongonga o nga tohunga Maori ki te tangi, ka haere ki te whakarongorongo, no reira to ratou matauranga ki nga whainga me era atu mea ngaro i te tokomaha. Otiia, ekore te nuinga o te iwi e rongo i te auetanga mai o nga wairua i runga i te ti, ko nga tohunga Maori anake te rongo ana. Humarie tonu tenei wahi o te awa, e awhio haere ana te wai, marama tonu, kanapanapa kau ana i nga hihi o te ra--ka mahi te raumati! Pururu tonu te tupu o te rakau ki nga taha awa; he noninga ka ahua ke, he noninga ka ahua ke, he pai ke ano tana ua whakatau te titiro ki nga tini kopikonga o te awa, me te kopurepure mai o te raurekau, whakauru te mea karera, te mea pouri, me era atu ahua. Ekore ianei te hinengaro e miharo ki te mea penei--a, ekore ianei te wha-

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in which, however, we were unsuccessful. Opita is a wretched place, containing about a dozen miserable raupo houses all tumbling to pieces We found the natives in a very poor condition, not a living animal had they, save four geese, a hen with a brood of young chickens, and a few skeleton-looking dogs; they had neither potatoes nor kumeras but were living on fern root and a few eels which they catch now and then. We bespoke two large canoes to be ready as we pass to morrow morning, as the Kaweranga canoe was to leave us at Opita, and the boat at the end of to-morrow's journey. We then returned to the camp just in time for dinner, which we enjoyed on the grass, after which we all walked to Mr. Thorpe's, who received us very kindly and showed us over his garden and orchard, which are spacious, and in very fair order; the latter contains a great number of fruit trees, which were all in bearing, hut none of the fruit was ripe except some cherries, which looked very nice. Mr. Thorpe is a very enterprising and useful settler and one who deserves to be fortunate, as he seems likely to be. He possesses a splendid herd of cattle, amongst which are 25 cows regularly giving milk, and a number of fine bullocks literally rolling in fat, such in fact as would be almost invaluable in Auckland. Mr. Thorpe employs no servants, all the work being done by his own sons with the occasional assistance of. some natives in the planting and harvest seasons; he has thirty or forty acres broken up and planted with potatoes, wheat, and a proportion

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kaaro e maiangi ki te Kai-Hanga? I te 4 o nga haora ka kapea ki muri te kainga o Te Tapa, whakau ana ki Ngoiatoke i roto atu, U kau ano ka popo te mahi o te namu rao ko te waeroa; kihai i tatu te noho i ana tini mea. Ara i pai, i pai, a Te Heuheu, ka tinia e te whakatakariri. Nawai u a ana ka muia nga ngutu, me nga karu ekore e oho? Rokohanga iho u a te Heuheu ekore e tatatata tenei mea te waeroa, me te namu, ki tona kainga, ki Taupo. No te tahunga o te kai, ka eke te hunga tokorua ki te waka, ka hoe atu ki Opita, ki te tiki parareka; otiia, kahore kau o reira. He kainga kino a Opita, tino ngahuru nga whare puni o reira, kua mutumutu ke nga rona me nga nati. Hore i te rawakore o nga tangata o tenei wahi; e paui noa ana i te roi, tango mai te tuna hei kinaki. E wha nga parera i rokohanga ki ia kainga, ko te heihei, me nga pi, me nga kuri Maori--tuoi, tuoi, rere ana te mataku. Hore he riwai o konei, hore he "kura o Maui." Erua nga waka i korerotia mo matou i konei, e hoki ana te waka o Kauwaeranga i tenei wahi, a, ko roto atu hoki ai te poti. Tae rawa mai i Opita ka maoa te kai, ka tuku ki raro, he mea whariki haere nga kai ki runga ki te tarutaru; ha ana te waha i taua kai. No te mutunga, ka haere kia kite i te kainga o Te

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of fine meadow grass. We were struck by the great number of bees-from forty to fifty hives--all of which looked strong and healthy, and from the honey of which they make mead We received an invitation to tea, and breakfast next morning, from which, however, we excused ourselves, and Mr. Thorpe as we were taking leave of him, gave us a bottle of milk, for which, as it is a great treat in the bush, we were of course very grateful. The scenery about here is very pretty, and the effect greatly improved by beautiful hedges of the multiflora rose, all literally covered with a sheet of blossom, which enclose the paddocks, and nearly cover Mr. Thorpe's house. Clarke took a sketch of the place from the bank of the river Having walked over the grounds, seeing and admiring all that was to be seen and admired, we took leave of Mr. Thorpe and returned to camp to tea, after which we retired to our respective beds, where each of us was in turn highly amused at the various contrivances of the others for setting at defiance our common enemies the mosquitoes, none of which contrivances, however, proved completely successful, as we were nearly devoured alive, even in spite of all the smoke we could manage by our joint efforts to raise in the tent. Saturday, 8th. --Rose at five, and the first thing done was to cool our burning skins, still aching from the effects of the mosquito onslaught, in the limpid waters of the Thames, during which time breakfast was in course of preparation. We were delayed till nine o clock this morning, having to wait for the turn of

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Tapa. Arahina ana matou e ia ki te matakitaki i ana mara. He maha nga rakau hua, kihai i ata maoa i reira nga kai; he here anake nga mea i maoa; maimai ana te mangai i te tirohanga atu. He tangata ahuwhenua a Te Tapa; te tukunga iho o tenei mea o te ahuwhenua, he whai rawa. He nui ana kau, e 25 o nga kau whakatete; he matu kau ano nga mea tane; me he mea, e kitea ana he mea pera ki Akarana, kia nui noa atu he utu. Ko ratou ko te whanau nga kai mahi o nga mara; engari ko te ruinga, me te hauhakenga, tikina ai he tangata Maori hei hoa mo ratou, Etoru tekau eka i ngakia ki te riwai, ki te witi, ki te taratara. Ano te ngaro hanga honi, tinitini ana! Ewha tekau, erima ranei te kau o nga whare; tara tonu nga iwi whai pakau o aua tini whare ki te rapu haere i nga puawai ngawha, ki te tango mai i te wai. I puritia matou ki reira ti ai, parakuihi ai, otira kihai i noho. No te whakatikanga mai i reira, ka homai te pounamu wai-u; ki a matou he mea whakahara tera, he mea hoki, ka mahue atu te Taone. Pai tonu te ahua o tenei wahi, he mea whakatupu te tataramoa Pakeha ki nga tahataha taiepa, a, totoro haere ana i runga i te whare; he wa puawai kau. I haere a Karaka ki te parepare o te awa, kia tuhia te ahua o tenei kainga. -- Hoki ana matou ki te nohoanga kai ai; muri

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tide, when we started for Opita; here we landed and found that one canoe only, of the two we had bespoken the previous day, was ready for us, the other being on shore and could not be launched without delaying us longer, than we could afford to wait. Here the Kaweranga canoe left us, after we had paid for her assistance eight shillings and six figs of tobacco--this payment, however, included a basket of potatoes which had been sent on after us in the afternoon. We had great difficulty in making arrangements to get the natives to go on with the canoe which was ready, and as for the other we had to give it up altogether. So much difficulty had we, that to avoid unnecessary delay, it was determined that two of us should remain behind to make arrangements about the canoe, while the boat proceeded upon her journey with the rest of the party. Our principal difficulty was owing to the absence of Te Amo, the Chief of this settlement, who was somewhere down at Hauraki, and in consequence the natives were more exacting and less manageable than if we had had the assistance of their chief. After a delay of about an hour, we succeeded in obtaining the services of a fine stout young fellow named Opita, and half a dozen others, who as the sequel proved, turned out to be the very best men we had in our party, being not only stronger and better travellers, but also better tempered, and in every way more agreeable and useful men than any others we engaged on the journey. We hurried them off without making any definite arrangement as to pay, and I

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iho, ka kuhua te ihu ki roto ki te kahu moenga. Katakata ana tetahi ki tetahi, ki te taupatupatunga ki te nanakia nei, ki te waeroa; ahu iho, ahu ake, a, te taea te riri, ka mui mai, tini oneone ana. He paoa tena, pongere tonu a roto o te teneti, heaha ki a ia, mui tonu, a ti ana nga taringa i te tangihanga.

Haterei, te 8. --No te 5 o nga haora i maranga ai. I te tahunga o te kai ka rere matou ki nga wai o Hauraki kaukau ai, kia hemo ai te pawerawera o o matou kirika i te ngaunga o te waeroa i te po. Pari rawa ake te tai, ka taka ki te iwa o nga haora. Te taenga ki Opita kotahi ano waka i manu o nga mea erua i whakaritea ra mo matou; ko te rua i takoto ki uta, te taea te to. Ko te hokinga tenei o te waka o Kauwaeranga; te utu mo taua waka 8 hereni, 6 whiri tupeka. Kotahi kete parareka i tukua kia matou e nga tangata o te waka, a, heoi ra ano nga utu mo te waka me nga riwai, ko nga utu ka oti nei te whakahua. Tukua ana te poti kia hoe, tokorua o matou i noho ki te korero i te waka. Te mea i roa ai te korero mo tenei waka, kahore a Te Amo i te kainga; me he mea, i rokohanga taua rangatira ki Opita, ekore ano pea e roa te whakaritenga, ko ia hoki te tumuaki o taua wahi kainga. Roa noa e korerorero ana, ka whakaae a Opita, me nga hoa tokoono kia haere

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imagine our success was mainly attributable to the presence of Te Heu Heu, before whom -- being a chief of so much importance--the natives were ashamed to appear too hard or exacting. We found that our canoe, though not a large one, was capable of containing a very fair load, and that she was moreover very fast, and we pulled merrily along through some extremely pretty scenery, till we arrived at a small mahinga or plantation of potatoes at a place called Putakina. Here we found that the boat had stopped a short while before our arrival, and that some tea was being prepared by way of lunch. This place is inhabited by a few monstrously wild looking savages, headed by a tall man called Whakareho, who had small pair of twinkling black eyes, with a very peculiarly formed mouth, and an immense black beard, which upon the whole gave him a very remarkable expression of countenance. We obtained a canoe and crew from this gentleman and then pushed on for Moki, a place about twenty miles from Opita, where we arrived at about 5. This place, like Putakina, is not a settlement, but only a small potato cultivation, with about ten natives living on it. We encamped here and made all as snug as possible for Sunday. Weather still very fine, but slight indications of an approaching change are observable. Did not forget Saturday night, but drank "sweethearts and wives" with the usual honors, which being done we prepared our beds and set to work to regale the mosquitoes with as great a quantity of tobacco smoke as we could conveniently raise. The Thames

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i a matou. He kaiaka kau a Opita ratou ko nga hoa; Waihoki he hunga rangimarie, he hunga mahi, pai ke ake ta ratou mahi i era atu tangata e haere ana i a matou. Kihai i ata rite nga korero mo te utu, ka tonoa e matou kia haere; te mea pea, te whakapakeke ai taua hunga, he whakama i a Te Heuheu, no te mea, he rangatira whai mana ia. He waka ngawari ki te hoe, a, kihai i roa ka tae matou ki nga ngakinga o Putakina. Pai tonu te ahua o tenei wahi, i te hoenga mai. Kua u noa mai te poti ki tenei wahi, a, e tahu ana nga tangata i te ti, hei whakaora i a matou ki te haere. Ahua maka ana nga tangata o tenei kainga; ko Whakareho te ingoa o te rangatira, hitawe ana, haere mai te roroa o nga paihau, me he waro te ahua. Tukua mai ana he waka mo matou e tenei tangata, me te kai hoe; te patunga atu i konei, a, --Moki; no te 5 o nga haora i u ai. Te mamao o tenei wahi haere atu ki Opita 20 maero. E pera ana a Moki me Putakina, he mahinga kau na nga tangata; tino ngahuru te hunga noho ki tenei wahi. I noho matou i konei i te Ratapu. Paki tonu otira, ahua paroro mai ana te rangi. No te inumanga i te ahiahi po ka mahara ki "nga makau, me nga puhi." No te haerenga ki te moe, ka tahuna he tupeka, kia mate ai nga waeroa i te paoa, E ahua ke ana pea te

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mosquitoes must however have differently constituted lungs from others of the species, as they seemed rather to enjoy the smoke than otherwise, or else perhaps they bit us all the harder in revenge--be that as it may, we scarcely had a wink of sleep the whole night.

Sunday, Dec 9th. ---Still superb weather, almost too hot if anything. We had some eels for breakfast, cooked in a way which was new to most of us. called kohe or kope, and which is done in the following manner: --fern stalks are run down the whole length of the fish (which is not skinned or in any way prepared for cooking) from the mouth to the tail--then two eels thus skewered are wrapped in leaves of the raurekau tree, and tied together with flax, when they are roasted before the fire with one end resting on the ground and the other leaning against a stick supported in a horizontal position in front of the fire for the purpose. When cooked in this way, they are eaten leaf and all, the leaf serving as a relish, and are considered by the natives a great delicacy, though they proved rather too rich for our European stomachs. At noon we had native service, and a very fair sermon from an old native teacher named Marakai (Malachi) who had followed us on from Opita, after which the Governor, Symonds, and I, ascended a high hill called Te Papa at the back of the settlement, about half a mile from the river. Hence we could trace almost the whole course of the Thames from Waiharakeke to its mouth. We could also see a great portion of the Piako, with the whole of the country lying between the two rivers,

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waeroa o Hauraki, inahoki kihai i mate i te paoa tupeka--kahore ranei, i whakatakariri ratou mo te tahunga o te tupeka, a, tino ngaua ana matou hei utu; kihai i moe, a, ao noa i taua mea nanakia.

Te Ratapu, Tihema te 9. --Paki tonu te rangi, tikaka ana te ra. He mea kope nga tuna ma matou. Katahi ano au ka kite i tena tu tunu mo te ika; he mea huki ki te takakau rahurahu, waho o nga tuna, he mea takai ki te rau rekau; ka maoa, ka kai katoa, me nga raurekau hei kinaki. Ki te tangata Maori he kai reka pu tera; otira, kihai i ata reka ki te Pakeha, i te momona o nga tuna. I te tino awatea, ka karakia matou; i a Marakai te kauwhau, i pai te whakahaerenga o te kupu o taua kaumatua. Muri iho o te karakia ka piki a te Kawana ki te maunga, ko Haimona, ko au nga hoa haere. Ko Te Papa te ingoa o taua maunga, kei tua atu o nga kainga, te mamao atu o te awa he maero. No te ekenga ki runga, ka marama te titiro ki nga kainga katoa o reira; ka kitea atu hoki nga kopikonga o te awa o Hauraki, i Waiharakeke, a-- Kauwaeranga. E kitea atu ana a Piako, he mania nui tana wahi, he tapokopoko. He rarangi puke kei te taha marangai, i te takiwa ki Hauraki, haere atu ki te akau. He rarangi puke hoki kei te taha marangai o Piako, haere atu

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which is a dead flat and very swampy--it is in fact an immense valley, a ridge of hills running on the east, between the Thames and the coast (of which ridge Te Papa is one) and another to the westward of the Piako. The valley extends far beyond Matamata, and may indeed be said to reach as far as the high land at Patetere, a distance of about 100 miles from Hauraki. The land between the Thames and Piako appears for the most part unavailable, at least at present, and until a considerable sum has been expended in drainage, which from the flatness of its surface, would be a difficult as well as an expensive operation; but on the right bank of the Thames, i. e. between the river and the range on which we were standing, is a large extent of very valuable land, drained and watered by several streams--some of them indeed considerable creeks--running from the hills into the main river. This belt, as it may be called, of land varies very much in breadth in different places, the result of the winding of the river and the irregular course of the range, which is in some places at a distance of perhaps from five to ten miles from the river, and at others either the main ridge or spurs from it run close to the banks of the stream. The valley of the Thames contains a considerable quantity of valuable timber--there is one large wood on the Thames in the shape of a nearly regular parallelogram of perhaps thirty miles by eight, through which the river runs; it extends from Hauraki to a little beyond Mr. Thorpe's station. and contains quantities of Kahikatea, Totara, and other valuable timber. Above this

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ki Waikato. Ka takoto te wharua i waenga puke a Patetere, mahue noa mai Matamata. Te mamao atu i nga Wahapu o nga awa 100 maero. Ehara nga wahi o Hauraki, haere atu ki Piako, he repo kau, a, kia nui noa atu te mahi ka mimiti nga wai o aua wahi. Engari te taha matau o Hauraki he wahi pai, e ahua pai ana te oneone, a, e mimiti ana nga wai i nga manga o taua wahi. He tino awa etahi o aua manga, ka rere atu i Hauraki, a, aki noa ki nga maunga. Kihai i rite te whanui o te wahi i waenga maunga i te taha matau o Hauraki i te kopikopiko o te awa; he mea ano, ka tu mamao atu, he mea ano, ka tuku tata nga puke ki te parepare o te awa. He nui te rakau ki te wharua o Hauraki, e papai ana hoki aua rakau, e whakauru ana te kahikatia, te totara me era atu rakau. E mea ana au, etoru tekau maero te roa o taua ngaherehere, 8 maero te whanui. Ka rere atu i Hauraki, a, waho atu o te kainga o Te Tapa. Ka mutu mai te ngahere, ka tae ki nga wahi reporepo, he motu kau nga rakau i te taha awa. I kitea atu e matou te keokeonga o Tongariro me era atu puke, i Waipa, i Waikato; i kitea atu hoki te tai Tuauru. I tangohia mai te kapahu a Haimona hei tuhi i nga maunga, a, tuhia ana i reira: --no Pirongia, 203 deg.; no Maungakawa, 195 deg.; no Tongariro, 163 deg.; no Maungatau-

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the river runs through low swampy ground, with small patches of rugged wood here and there on the banks. We saw the peak of Tongariro and several hills on the Waikato, Waipa, and the West Coast, and Symonds took the following bearings with Cator's Compass, viz. --Pirongia, 203 deg.; Maungakawa, 195 deg.; Tongariro, 163 deg.; Maungatautari, 339 deg.; Thorpe's Station, 345 deg.; Kaweranga, 339 deg.; Taupiri, 337 deg. 30'.

Monday, December 10. --Rose at half past four. Mosquitoes in thousands, and sundry other appearances indicative of an approaching change in the weather. It was still very fine, however, and by six we had breakfasted, packed up our traps, loaded the canoes, and were ready for a start. This being the highest point on the river to which the boat could conveniently reach, we took leave of Mr. Rough, and started in our Maori conveyances. The river is rather dull in this part, being so thinly inhabited, but the scenery is nevertheless very pretty in many places. We were nearly all day under the foot of a magnificent hill, called Te Aroha, the highest peak of the range on the right bank of the river. It is wooded from the top nearly to the base, and from it run several spurs and manor hills, which add greatly to its appearance. Beyond (farther south) is another peak nearly as high, called Te Aroha Uta, but of this we could not obtain a good view to day. Halted at noon for lunch on a level spot on the left bank, where stands by itself a large totara tree, on which we cut our names and the date. Started again in about half an hour, the

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tari, 175 deg.; no te kainga o Tapa, 345 deg.; no Kauwaeranga, 339 deg.; no Taupiri, 337 deg. 30'. Ka mutu, ka heke iho ki te kai.

Manei, Tihema te 10. ---No te 4 1/2 o nga haora, ka maranga. Tini oneone te waeroa, me era atu tohu ua. Otira, e mau tonu ana te paki; tae rawa ake ki te ono o nga haora, kua mutu te kai, kua oti te whakarawe, nga putea, kua oti nga waka te uta, a, ka tata ka manu. Owha ana maua ki a Pene Rawhi i konei; ko tona hokinga hoki tenei, kihai te poti i puta ki roto atu i te papaku o te awa. I ma nga waka Maori maua. Mehameha tonu tenei wahi, he takitahi noa atu te nohoanga tangata, ko te ahua ia o konei, e rangatira ana. Te ata iho, a, titaha noa te ra kihai i pahure atu i te maunga o te taha matau o te awa, a Te Aroha; ka haere ake te rakau i te take o tenei maunga, a, eke noa ki te tihi. He pukepuke kei nga taha o taua maunga, pai tonu te ahua ua tirohia atu. Tu mai ana i roto atu, i te taha whaka-te-Tonga tetahi atu maunga teitei, ko Te Aroha Uta te ingoa o tenei, kihai i ata kitea atu. No te tino awatea ka whakau ki te kai, he mania taua wahi, e tu ana i reira te totara kotahi; tuhia ana o matou ingoa me te tau ki taua totara. Kihai i pahika te haora, ka hoe, a, i te wha o te muri awatea ka u ki Mangawhenga, he motu-rakau

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appearance of the weather every moment looking more and more threatening, and landed at four p. m. at Mangawhena, a little creek with a patch of wood at the mouth. About this time it began to rain pretty smartly, so we lost no time in pitching the tents, and preparing for a wet night. When the tents were pitched and we had had some dinner, the Governor and I went out with Whakareho and some other natives in one of the canoes to witness the sport of eel-spearing. They have a bayonet fastened on the end of a pole about eight feet long, which they thrust into the banks, as the canoe drops quietly down the stream, in places where they know by experience that there are eel-holes in the mud. When the man with the spear has transfixed an eel, he calls out "ka tu! ka tu!"--he is struck! he is struck!-- and while he holds on by the spear, another man jumps out of the canoe with a large hook in his hand, about the size of a shark-hook, with which he pulls the eel out of the mud after grubbing for it with his hands, in which operation the natives often get severely bitten by the large fish. During the time that the canoe is going down the stream, and the spearer is thrusting his weapon into the banks in search of sport, one of the other natives, generally the man who steers the canoe, repeats the following karakia, or religious ceremony, for the success of the fishing--

"Oh may the fish hereafter feast and feed upon the man whom thus I curse. 1 He who by his witchcraft,

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kei te kongutu o taua awa. Puru tonu te rangi i te kapua, kihai i roa, ka tukua te kai nei, a te ua; kakama tonu te whakaaraara i nga teneti kia ora ai i te ua, i te po. Ka oti nga teneti te whakaara, ka tuku ki te kai, ka mutu, ka haere te Kawana, me au, me Whakareho, ratou ko nga hoa kia kite i te kai nanao tuna, ara te werohanga. He mea whakanoho te hoia ki te pito o te kaho, te roa o te kaho 8 putu. Ka waiho te waka kia manu haere ana, a, ka puta ki te rua o te tuna ka werohia ki te hoia, ua rokohanga e te kai-wero, ka karanga ake ia, "ka tu! ka tu!"---i reira tata ka pekea mai e tetahi i te waka me te matau mango i te ringa hei to ake i te tuna. He mea ano, ka ngaua putia nga ringa o te kai-nanao e te tuna rarahi. I te werohanga haeretanga i te tuna, ka whakahua te tangata urungi o te waka, i tenei karakia--!

He ritenga no namata tenei, i te nohoanga o te tangata i te kuaretanga; ko tenei, kua

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and by wishing me ill luck is the real cause that none of you will take mv bait. What have you done that they should thus bewitch, and with their ill omens and curses reach you. You've been by witchcraft touched, by curses smitten.

This karakia, however, being a remnant of their former state of heathenism, has, it must be understood, like all their other ancient ceremonies, fallen, since the introduction by the Missionaries of the Christian religion, almost entirely into disuse. The sport to day was not very good, even with the assistance of the above karakia, as they only caught one eel, but it was an enormously large one, so large indeed, that they were obliged to use a knife to sever the vertebrae of the back before they could draw him out of his hole. Towards, nightfall the rain increased, and gave every appearance of a decided change in the weather, to the great danger of our provisions, for which we had brought no tarpaulins, not having calculated upon encountering such bad weather at this season of the year. Tuesday, December 11. --Found ourselves, on awaking this morning, lying in a pool of water, having pitched our tent in a hollow place last

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whakarerea tera, he mea hoki ka tae mai ki tenei whenua nga Minita o te pono, ki te kawe mai i te Rongo Pai. Kihai i whai tuna i tenei ra, ahakoa te whakahuatanga o taua karakia. Kotahi ano tuna i tu, otira, he mea whakahara tera - kihai i taea te to ake, no te poronga o te iwituararoa ka riro ake. I te ahiahi ka nui haere te ua, a, ka ahua kino mai. Kihai maua i mahara ki te taporena hei hipoki i nga kai, i whakaaroa he raumati, a, ekore te ua e nui mai.

Turei, Tihema te 11. --Te ohonga i te ata nei e takoto ana i roto i te hopua wai; i wharua hoki te wahi i whakaturia ki te teneti. Ara ana, nekehia ana nga teneti ki nga wahi wai kore. E ua tonu mai ana; he Marangai te hau, a, e pupuke ake ana te wai o te awa i te ua, no kona, kihai i taea te korikori. No te tirohanga ki nga kai, ka kitea, kua kino ke. Ahua torori ana te tupeka, i maku--ko te paraoa, na te ua i kororirori mata--ko te huka i pera me te marahihi--ko te raihi i tutata ki te pihi mana, a, kua kino ke te nui atu o nga kai. Ka hohoro te whakaara i te wharau hei takotoranga mo nga kai, kawea ana ki reira takoto ai, hipokia ana ki te taporena, me era atu mea. Tahuna ana he ahi hei whakamaroke i nga moenga, me nga taro, me nga tupeka, me era atu mea. Kihai a te Kawana i aha ki nga kai

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night. Rose and moved to higher ground as speedily as possible. It was still raining violently with the wind from the eastward, and the river gradually rising, so that there was no chance of moving that day. Our provisions were found on inspection to be sadly damaged. Tobacco saturated--flour converted into (unbaked) unleavened bread--sugar rapidly assuming the appearance of molasses, -- rice threatening to grow, and in short every thing which was at all of a perishable nature, in a most deplorable condition. We got a temporary shed erected over them as quickly as possible, and with the assistance of all the tarpaulins we could muster from our bedding, &c, covered them up as well as we could, and had an enormous fire lit under the shed to dry such portions of the biscuit; tobacco, &c, as might still be in a recoverable state, as well as our bedding, a great part of which had been completely soaked in the night. The Governor bore all our mishaps very stoically, appearing to care very little what became of that which had been provided for the inner man, but amused himself all day in his tent surrounded by natives, learning their songs, proverbs, ceremonies, &c, &c, in collecting which he takes great interest. For our own part we amused ourselves as best we might in our own little tent, with songs, anecdotes, &c, in which Symonds, the most agreeable travelling companion as well as the best bushman I have met with, as usual took the lead. The natives however, seemed happier than any of us; they built themselves houses, or rather large sheds,

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kua kino nei, kahore ana maharahara ki nga oranga ma te tinana; engari i noho marire ia ki tona teneti, ki te whakarongo i nga waiata Maori, ki nga tangi, ki nga pepeha, ki nga karakia, me era atu mea a te tangata Maori; ko tana hoki tenei e pai ai. I to matou wahi teneti matou e waiata ana, e korero ana, rawe tonu nga kupu a Haimona ki tenei mea, ki tera mea--he tangata hoki kua taunga ki te haere koraha. Engari nga tangata Maori i pai te noho, he ahi i roto i a ratou wharau, hore he tatanga o te waeroa, o te namu. Kakahu rawa nga paraikete, ka noho noa ki te taha o te kapura ahinaina ai, takaro ai, katakata ai, waiata ai, tunu ai i te riwai, ano, ehara i te ra ua ki to ratou whakaaro. I te wha o nga haora ka tukua nga teneti, e tere ana hoki te waipuke o nga awa, me ake eke ki runga ki te parepare, karapotia ana matou e te wai, hore he putanga. Neke atu ana maua ki tera taha o te awa, ki te wahi teitei, kei taea ake e te wai, otira, kahore he whakaruru mai o taua wahi, patu tonu mai te ua, me te hau. Marie kia neke atu ki tahaki, ki te wahi puhanga hau, i harahara ai te ngau o te waeroa. Ua rua nga kino ki te haerenga mai, me whiriwhiri i te mea e iti iho ana i tetahi--he kino ano tera te uanga o te ua, me te puhanga o te

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of flax leaves, and the branches of trees, which defied the rain much more effectually than our thin tents, and had the further advantage of containing a fire under the roof which kept every thing free from damp, and drove away musquitoes, sand-flies, &c. Around these fires they sat all day wrapped in their blankets, smoking their pipes, roasting potatoes and talking and laughing as if it were the finest weather imaginable. At four, we had to strike the tents, the river having risen so high, as to threaten to swamp the encampment; the little creek had also overflowed its banks, so that we were attacked in front and rear, and our retreat inland effectually cut off. We were therefore obliged to take to the canoes, and move to some high land on the opposite side of the creek, where we were quite beyond the reach of the river, but had no shelter of any kind to break the force of either wind or rain. Even this defect was not without its countervailing advantage, as, the more plentiful the supply of fresh air the less were we liable to be pestered by the mosquitoes, -- of the two evils, which is the least, I leave to be determined by those who hove both travelled in New Zealand in wet weather, and gone through a summer campaign with the Thames mosquitoes. Towards sunset the weather presented slight indications of clearing up, and the first part of the night was without rain. This is the anniversary of the first landing of Captain Cook in New Zealand, and is also the first day of the Auckland summer race meeting. It was a sort of misanthropic satisfaction

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hau ki te tangata; he kino ano hoki tera te ngaunga tonutanga o te tangata e te waeroa, ma te tangata e whakaaro te kino iti o enei e rua. Ka haere ka torengi te ra, ka ahua pai te rangi, me te mea e haere ake ana ki te mao mana. Ko te ra huringa tau tenei o te orokowhakauranga o Pene Kuki ki enei motu, ko te ra timata hoki o te whakaomangamanga hoiho o Akarana, I to matou nohoanga noatanga i te ra nei, ka mahara ki nga mahi takaro hoiho o te hunga e hiahia ana ki tera tu mea.

Wenetei, Tihema te 12. --Ua tonu i tenei ra, a-- po noa. He ua ake koa u ana, kihai i taea te haere. Noho noa i nga teneti, a, tae noa ki te 3 o nga haora, ka kai, ka haere kia kite i te puna wai, i Te Korokoro-o-Hura, he mea hoki ka mao kau iho te ua. I mea nga tangata Maori, he wai koropupu tera, i mea hoki, e mataitai ana, a, e rere mai ana i Turanganui i raro ite whenua. Kei te taha marangai o te awa taua wai, kei te take o maunga Te Aroha, I te whakatatanga atu ka akona au e Whakareho ki te karakia e korerotia ana e te tangata ua whakau atu ki te wai-koropupu. I oku whakahuatanga i aua kupu i te nohoanga ki Rotomahana, tangi ana te ngongoro o te tangata. Ko te ritenga mo taua mea, koia tenei --he huhuti mai i te rahurahu, i era atu ra nei

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to us in all our misery, to think of the state of mind in which the sporting portion of the Auckland community must have been all day.

Wednesday, December 12. --It was raining, this morning harder than ever, and continued to do so without intermission throughout the day, so as to preclude the possibility of our proceeding on our journey. We spent the forenoon in much the same manner as yesterday, and dined at three; after which, as there was an appearance of a slight relaxation in the torrents of rain, we went about two miles down the river to see a spring called Te Korokoro o Hura, which the natives declared to be boiling and of a salt taste, and that it came from the sea on the East Coast by a subterraneous passage. It is situated at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, on the eastern bank of the river. On approaching it, Whakareho who was our guide, instructed me in a Native ceremony for strangers approaching a boiling spring, and my repeating which afterwards afforded much amusement during our stay at Rotomahana. It consists in pulling up some fern or any other weed which may be at hand, and throwing it into the spring, at the same time repeating the words of a karakia of which the following is the translation--

The above ceremony which is called "Tupuna

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taru, i te whiunga ai ki te wai, ka whakahua i tenei karakia--

Mo te orokohaerenga atu o te tangata ki nga wahi tauhou tenei ritenga te Tupuna Whenua. Ma tenei ka marire te Tupuna whenua, a, muri mai he haere noa atu, ekore e ahatia e taua Tupuna. No te whakamatauranga o te wai kahore i rangona te werawera, otira, kihai i ata matao rawa. I te meatanga ki te mangai i penei me te wai whakauru ki te rino, kahore he mataitai; ko te haunga ia, nui atu. He whanariki i kitea ki reira, ki te taha o taua wai. He wai noa ake nei, kihai i rahi; e mea ana au, he maumau whakangenge noa i nga turi ua haere kia kite i tera puna, he roa hoki te wahi tapokopoko o te ara atu.

Taitei, Tihema 13. --He nui te ua o te po whakauru mai te pokaka. I te aonga ake o te ra, ka harahara kau iho te ua; ka mea ma-

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Whenua" is used by persons on their first arrival at a strange place, for the purpose of appeasing the spirit of the earth, who would otherwise be angry at the intrusion. On examining the spring we found that the water was not hot, and could hardly be called tepid, although it was not quite cold. Neither is it salt at all, but has a strong chalybeate taste, and is highly odoriferous of rotten eggs. We found a small quantity of sulphurous deposit in the mud through which the water wells up. The quantity of water emitted is very small, and the place on the whole hardly repays one for the trouble of visiting it, to do which it is necessary to traverse about quarter of a mile of very broken ground, the greater part of which is a deep quagmire.

Thursday, December 13. ---It was very squally all night, and rained a great deal. In the early part of the morning, however, the rain became more intermittent, and though it still looked very black we determined to quit our present bleak and inconvenient position, and push on a little further up the river. So we started at about half past seven and began a weary pull against a very heavy flood, but anything, we thought, was better than wasting our time in such miserable quarters as those we had occupied for the last two days. At a little after eight down came the rain again by bucketsful upon our devoted heads, and continued peppering away in the most merciless manner all day, so that when we stopped at 2 p. m., at a place called Mangawaru, we were completely wet through, and not only were the

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tou i konei kia neke ki roto atu ki te wahi ruru, kihai hoki te mangu mai o te rangi i maharatia. Ka wahi te whitu ki te waru ka hoe matou, kihai i ata pahuhu nga waka i te tai pari; otira, i tinia e te hoha i te nohoanga i te wahi kino i nga po erua. Muri tata iho o te hoenga ka ringihia te wai nei a te ua
"Me he puna e utuhia ana"
ki runga ki te anganga. U rawa ake ki Mangawaru i te 2 o nga haora, putaputa iho nga koheka e mau ana i te kiri, me nga mea takoto noa, heoi ra ano nga mea i maroke ko era i kohia ki nga moenga i takaia ki te taporena, me nga mea i kohia ki nga pouaka rino. Tataki ana te ware o nga kai, a, kino ake: ko te poro tupeka, me te peke huka nga mea ora mai. Whakaarahia ana nga teneti ki te taha o te awa, kakama tonu te unuunu i nga kahu maku, a, ka takoto ki nga moenga. Ko te maku o nga whariki, ko te matao i te uanga, he kino ke ano tana. Ko o maua kakahu ko Te Karaka i kohia ki te peke, kahore i takaia a waho ki te taporena; putaputa iho nga kahu, hore he mea maroke hei kakahuranga mo maua. Ko nga kakahu i mau ki o maua kiri i whiua ki waho takoto ai, no te otinga o te mahi o nga tangata ka kohikohia, ka rangia ki te ahi kia maroke. Kahore i tatata te wai ki nga kahu o te Kawana, he mea hoki kua

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clothes we wore soaked, but all our spare clothing excepting that which had been packed in waterproof tin cases and tarpaulins was completed saturated. As to the provisions they were--i. e. the perishable part of them--totally and irrecoverably ruined, with the exception of one package of tobacco and a bag of sugar which were stowed carefully underneath a large pile of other things. We pitched our tents on a hill by the bank of the river, and tumbled into bed as quickly as possible, with wet fern spread upon the soaking earth for our beds; and our blankets, &c, though not completely saturated, still so damp as to be very uncomfortable, Clarke and I having our wardrobe packed in carpet bags, without tarpaulins, found on inspection that we had not a solitary article of dry raiment to put on. As for the clothes we had worn during the day, we threw them outside the tent, and left them there till the natives, having finished their houses, could take them away to be dried at their fires. The Governor and Symonds had the advantage of us here, as being experienced bushmen, they had all their clothes packed in water-proof tin cases, and were well supplied with tarpaulins. The weather was so dismal that even the natives could not keep their spirits up, but worked away at their huts in silence, a very unusual mood with them. Upon the whole, the general appearance of the camp was wretched in the extreme. We had a tremendous fire lit in front of our tent, and being so closely packed (literally three in a bed), our blankets were not

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taunga ia ki te haere koraha, kohia ana nga koheka ki te pouaka paraharaha, waho ake, ko te taporena. He mea pera hoki a Haimona, kua taunga ano hoki tera tangata ki te haere penei. Hore he ngoi o nga tangata Maori, mahi puku ana ratou i nga whare, te kiki, te aha, i te kino u a ratou; kino katoa hoki a matou teneti. He nui te ahi i tahuna ki te teneti hei whakamaroke i nga kakahu, kihai i roa ka maroke nga paraikete, ka mahana, ka korererero, ka kai paipa, tautokotoru hoki matou ki te moenga kotahi. E meinga ana kahore a te paipa wahi, kahore--he nui ta te paipa wahi, he nui te whakamarie o tera mea, ua ngaua noatia te tangata e te kopeke i te uanga, i te puhanga. Me he mea, e whakamatauria ana e te tangata, ka whakaae ano ratou ki taku e mea nei.

Parairei, Tihema te 14. ---Ka haere ka marama te rangi, he ua pokaka kau; i te tuarake te hau, e huri ana ki te hau-auru. I te roanga o te ra, ka iti haere te pokaka, ka roa haere te whitinga mai o te ra; no ka mahana noa i nga hihi o te ra, ka whakaputaina etahi o nga taretare ki waho kia maroke, ko etahi i tukua ki nga wahine Maori hei horoi. No te karangatanga ki nga hu, ka tinia e te mataku i te tirohanga ai, kua wera ke i te ahi, kowhanau ke ana; i rangia putia hoki e nga tangata.

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long in drying upon us, and we soon got warm and quite comfortable, and began singing and chatting, in the intervals of smoking and refilling the pipe, till our spirits rose to their natural pitch. It is on such occasions as this, that the real comfort of a pipeful of tobacco is felt; and it cannot be denied that a pipe is m New Zealand an almost indispensable travelling companion. A good smoke has a soothing and comforting effect, after one has been thoroughly tired by walking, or exposed to the pitiless pelting of a New Zealand rainy day, which can only be appreciated by those who have had such an opportunity of testing its efficacy.

Friday, December 14--Finer, but still looking rather black, with slight showers occasionally --wind about north, with some appearance oi veering to the westward. As the day wore on, the intervals between the showers became longer and the sun began to get the upper hand in his struggle with the heavy clouds, and to afford us occasional glimpses of the light of his countenance; so we spread our wet clothes out upon the fern to dry and got some of our things washed by the native women. On calling for our boots, we found that the natives, being anxious to have them nicely dried for us by the morning, had last night placed them rather too close to the fire; the consequence was, that though they certainly had succeeded in drying them to perfection, we discovered that they were all burnt, much to our horror and dismay, as it happened unfortunately that the whole party was rather badly provided with

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Rokohanga iho, kahore atu he hu, a, ko te taenga atu ra ano ki Taranaki whiwhi ai. Pani atu ki te hinu, aki atu, kukume atu, nawai a-- ka tua rite ki te ahua tawhito, a, ka tapoko whakauaua ki nga wae. Pupuke tonu ake te wai o te awa inapo, ngaro ana te nohoanga o nga tangata o Matamata i te wai, no reira ka hoe mai ratou, a, whakau ana ki to matou nohoanga. I te ata o te ra nei, tutu ana te puehu i roto i to matou tira Maori. Tokotoru nga tangata o Rotorua i roto i a matou, ko Tarawaru te ingoa o tetahi, tokorua ona teina, ko Wharekino, ko Matene, he koroke nanakia pu a Wharekino, no tona nohoanga ki Akarana i kino rawa ai ia. I mangai taua tangata ki a Whakareho. Ki Rotorua, he rangatira aua tokorua, koia pea i whakakake ai. Tenei ano te mea i riri ai, he ngaronga no te hoe o Whakareho, he meatanga nana, me utu e te tangata nana i whakangaro te hoe. Ka rongo a Wharekino ki te kupu o Whakareho, ka mea ake, "Ko ou paihau hei utu mo te hoe mahue." Puta kau ano enei kupu i te mangai, te makanga mai o te poro wahie ki te papapa o Wharekino, ehara! u tonu te rua o nga tainga ki te ringa, huri ake ana te kopu. No te aranga ki runga ka tangi haere ki te tuakana, ki nga Pakeha, hei wawao, kei maru ia. Ano te riri o taua hunga, pupu ana

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that particular article of dress, and a fresh supply could not be procured until our arrival at Taranaki. We contrived however, by paying them well with grease, and hammering at the shrivelled parts till they were battered into something like their original shape, to get them on at last, and they appeared after all as if, with care, they might last a few days yet. The river rose still higher last night, and swamped out some Matamata natives, (whose canoe--returning homeward from Mr. Thorpe's --had overtaken us yesterday), who had encamped by the side of the river just below us, obliging them to come up to our settlement. We were highly amused this morning by a furious disturbance amongst the natives. We had, in the party which had been engaged in Auckland, two or three natives of Rotorua, one of whom named Tarawaru, was, though young, a man of some consequence amongst his own people; he had two younger brothers, named Wharekino and Matene, the former, a lad of about sixteen, being an extremely impudent young fellow, whose education had been completed by a residence of some few months in Auckland. This young gentleman, it appears had grievously insulted Whakareho, who had lost, in the confusion yesterday afternoon, some of the paddles of his canoe, and on discovering the loss in the morning, said that whoever had been to blame should pay for the paddles. Upon this, Wharekino, who overheard him, said in a jeering tone, "Your beard shall be payment for the lost paddle," when immediately before the words were well out of his

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te huka o te waha, ka rere taua tokorua me nga pu ki te ringa. E tatari ana te tokorua ra kia patua ano e Whakareho, ko tenei i tatari kia patua mai e taua tokorua. I rapurapu te whakaaro o taua hunga, he kanga ranei te kupu o Wharekino, kahore ranei, i mea taua hunga, mei kanga ko te tinana o Whakareho, ka tika te patunga ra, tena ko tenei, ko nga paihau kau i meingatia. Ka mea taua tokorua, ka toro te ao mo taua akinga ra, a, kia roa noa atu te whainga o Ngatiwhakaue mo te marutanga a Wharekino. Ka mea a Tarawaru he whainga noa ake nei tera i ngaro nei a Ngatimaru i a Rotorua i nga tau kotahi tekau kua pahure; ko te riri mo tenei kia nui noa atu. Roa noa e kakawe ana taua hunga, ka haere atu a te Kawana raua ko Te Heuheu ki te wawao; marire kia waoa e raua i mutu ai te tautohetohe, i mau ai te rongo. Ka tu tonu te ra, ka tae ake ki to matou nohoanga etahi tangata; ko Mauwhare i roto i a ratou, kei raro iho i a Taraia tenei rangatira. I mea ki matou, he pa maroro rawa i runga i te tihi o Te Aroha Uta i mua ai; ko Ngatukituki-a-Hikawera te ingoa. Ko Te Ruinga te rangatira nana taua pa, he tupuna no Mauwhare; i mea te tangata ekore e taea, ahakoa tokomaha ki te tau. E mau ana ano nga pou o taua pa. I mea tawa

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mouth, he received a blow on the side of the head and another on the arm, from a log of firewood which the insulted owner of the beard had taken up, which floored him on the spot. He jumped up and ran howling and blubbering to his big brother and the pakehas for protection. Then ensued a scene, which no pen can adequately describe, in which Tarawaru and Whakareko were the principal actors. The rage of each knew no bounds, and they both rushed up and down, each armed with a huge bludgeon, jabbering and gesticulating furiously, yet neither party liking to be the first to commit a breach of the peace. The principal point at issue, seemed to be whether the beard is a part of the body so sacred as to constitute what Wharekino had said, a curse, according to the old native custom. If it were, Whakareko was held to be justified in taking summary vengeance, but if, as Tarawaru contended, such were not the case, the bloodshed, war, and other direful calamities which would ensue were beyond the mind of man to conceive--the famous Rotorua war, which, ten years ago, caused such devastation among the Thames people, was nothing to the consequences, which, judging from his threats, would flow from this rash act. When they had gone on in this absurd manner for about half an hour, the dispute was put an end to by a word of interference from the Governor and Te Heuheu. It seemed indeed, as if the belligerents were, rather pleased than otherwise, at the interposition of authority to put a stop to their warlike denunciations.

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tangata, ka whakatangihia te pahu 6 i tenei pa rongo rawa mai a Matamata; te mamao atu o Matamata i tenei wahi, ewaru, ngahuru ranei nga maero, te takiwa o konei haere atu ki Te Aroha Uta e wha pea maero, huia iho, tekau ma rua, ma wha ranei maero o te wheorotanga o te pahu. No te ahiahi ka paki, whakaaro ana matou he paki rawa a te aonga ake o te ra i te ahua pai mai o te rangi.

Hatarei, Tihema te 15. --I paki te ata nei no te Wahanga o te whitu ki te waru o nga haora ka koke matou mauta, ki Matamata. Kua mea ake matou Pakeha, aienei he ai i te repo, i te kauanga awa, i te pikinga, i te hekenga, i rongo hoki ki nga tangata kua takahi i tera ara. Erua ano awa i rokohina e matou, ko Te Horo tetahi, ta nga turi pona te wai, etoru ano hikoinga ka whiti, he mea peke te rua o nga awa, whiti ana ki tetahi taha. Engari nga repo, haere mai te nunui, haere mai te hohonu. E wha nga repo i whaka-