rather feel astonished to find I could both understand and speak English as well as ever, for during many wet days, I had never spoken a word of my own language, nor conversed even in Maori, of which I was well tired.” From Fraser’s it was a comparatively simple matter for the little expedition to reach the rising settlement of Nelson from which they had been absent for over eighteen months.
Brunner in his report to the New Zealand Government made a strong appeal for the natives scattered along the West Coast, who were isolated and cut off by natural barriers from the rest of their countrymen. They had received no assistance from the Government or the two missionary bodies who were doing their best for the native race in other parts of the colony. He further suggested the introduction of goats which he considered would do well, and greatly assist in solving the food problem, none knowing better than he the difficulty of subsisting on the meagre natural production of the wild and broken country that he had been the first to explore.
To-day, thousands of tourists, passing through the City of Nelson en route to Westland’s Scenic Wonderland, speed along well-constructed highways, traversing some of the most magnificent seascape, forest and mountain scenery in the world, and reach in a few hours the Waiho, where is situated the
