leaving the open plains, and the distance to the open country above the forest is comparatively small. From the Ruamahunga I proceeded northward through the Forty-mile Bush. Our road descended to the Ruamahunga by the Maori track, crossed the river, ascended a terrace, and then passed over a hill called Kotukutuku, of no great altitude. This hill, however, I believe may be avoided altogether, by taking the line of road lower down on the Ruamahunga. In three hours we reached the Maungawhinau stream, said by our guide, Hemi Paraone to Ua, to be a tributary of the Ruamahunga, but my impression is that he is wrong, and that it runs towards the Manawatu basin. The road frequently crosses this stream, a disadvantage which might probably be easily obviated. After crossing the before described hill, the road was nearly level excepting an occasional ascent of a terrace bank. We encamped on the banks of the Makakahi, on an undoubted northern fall. It is a rapid stream, much encumbered with drift wood. The weather was very rainy, and it took us two half days travelling through bush and upon terraces and alluvium to reach the Tutækara pa, situated on an open flat on the banks of the Maungatuinoko river. Here we found a population of about one dozen very miserable Maoris, under a chief called Mikara. The Puketoi range may be estimated as five miles distant to the eastward, and the nearest ranges of Tararua appearing to be about five miles to the west-ward would give a breadth to the valley of about ten miles. From Tutaekara we proceeded across the plain to the banks of the Maungawha, where that river makes some great bends through cliffs of blue clay and gravel. The next stream which we crossed is called the Ka-uki, near the junction of the tertiary sandstones and limestones with the vertical rocks of the main range. The terraces of the Forty-mile Bush are in geological character similar to those of the Wairarapa. The rocks observed are tertiary sandstones, and some limestone, blue clay, and gravels. The rocks of the main range continue of the same character as further south. Soon after leaving the Kauki we ascended abruptly the main range which here thins out to a comparatively narrow ridge; we crossed it without passing into any valley. The distance from level land to level land on each side does not exceed four or five miles. From the ridge most extensive views can be obtained. The Puketoi range lies opposite—a scarped tertiary formation; over its northern shoulder open country is visible to the eastward. To the southward may be seen the hills beyond Masterton; on the western side the view extends over an immense area of level country. The view from this range gives a strong impression of the ultimate resources of the district. The rocks of the main range here show no change from those further south: the height of the range here is perhaps 2000 feet above the sea. We descended upon Raukawa; thence we proceeded down the right bank of the River Manawatu, travelling upon a rich alluvium, but observing occasionally the scarp of gravel terraces. The mouth of the Oroua at Puketotara seems to mark the line of demarcation between the rich land of the interior plains, and the poorer sand tracts towards the coast, and as the aneroid marked exactly the same height at Puketotara as at Te Awahou, I would suggest that the principal township of the Manawatu, ought perhaps to be at, or near Puketotara, and the river navigation improved up to that point, in which case the main trunk line of road from Wellington to the North, would pass through and open fertile lands instead of traversing sand hills.