were to cut. The whole of our road was through a succession of dense forest land, generally free from supple-jack, in cutting a bridle-road through which few (if any) large trees would need to be felled. The ground is covered with thick moss and vegetable deposit. The view of the Takaka valley is magnificent: the banks of the river are clothed with timber; the land, of which there are some thousands of acres available for agricultural purposes, is generally flat, and of equal quality with the Motuaka woodland; the trees are chiefly remo, totara, and birch, many of them of very large growth; the river is rapid, and in many places very deep. From the banks of the river we observed the brown-looking peak so plainly visible at Motuaka, bearing south half west, Mr. Duffey's station distant a day and a-half's journey north, the ridge of the Pukeona down which we descended east, and the Takaka mountains west. We ascended the river all day, steering south, crossing at the fords. Towards evening we found that the river suddenly took a turn to the westward through a deep gorge. Steered eastward, and crossed a smaller river, the Mangaona, which forms a junction with the Konganiho, and the two combined become what is called the Takaka. Encamped on the banks of the Mangaona, and found in the bed of the river a good deal of lime and potter's clay. With the exception of the plain before mentioned, there is little or no grass land; but, owing to the open nature of the woodland, plenty of feed for a limited number of cattle could be obtained. The land generally is suitable for tillage, not for grazing.
28th.—Ascended another ridge of the Pukeona, on our return, steering south by east. Found the ascent very difficult, chiefly climbing over sharp ledges of slaty rock. The rain, which had been threatening some time, came down in torrents, accompanied with very high wind, during the night, and continued the whole of the next day, during which we made little or no progress.
30th.—The rain ceased about noon, when we started, steering east by south; our road was very difficult. By night we reached the summit of a high range of hills, forming one side of the Rewaka Bush Valley, as the natives call it, from which we had a glimpse of the Motuaka wood. Could not find water.
May 1st.—Descended the ridge, which was very steep and craggy, and came to what I imagine to be the source of the Rewaka river. Followed its course all day, the road almost impracticable, from having to walk on the edge of the river, which was very much swollen.
2nd.—Continued the same course, and at noon came to some Maori plantations. The whole of this southern branch of the Rewaka valley is grand in point of scenery, but utterly useless for agricultural purposes, the sides being almost perpendicular, and the only feasible road liable to be covered by every rain.
If a bridle-road be cut, I should recommend its being commenced at the hill which we ascended at starting, and continued along the road we traversed to the top of the Pukeona range, the descent from which, by proper search to the southward, I have little doubt would be found much more easy than the one we found. I consider that the whole distance of the bridle-road would not exceed twenty miles, taking into
