liar ancient rock-paintings in a cave or rock shelter in the Weka Pass” ranges in that provincial district, accompanied by a plate of the same,—I, at once, thought on what Polack had written, some forty years ago, of some drawings he had noticed in a cave at Tolaga Bay, where Cook had landed and watered in peace. And, bearing also in mind, what a few of the oldest Maoris there had personally told me of Cook, on my first visit to Tolaga Bay, in January, 1838 (when I also saw the hull of Polack's broken vessel), I, naturally, very much wished to know more of this cavern and its drawings; likewise of a very peculiar tree growing there, which Polack also particularly mentions. And finding that my friend, Mr. Locke, who is also a member of our Society, was going thither last summer, I requested him to ascertain, by personal inspection, all he could as to the cavern and its drawings, and the tradition about it, and, also, the said tree; and, if possible, to bring me—on his return to Napier—a specimen of this latter. This, I am happy to be able to say, Mr. Locke has since done; but before I give you his information, I will just quote from Polack's work, as his remarks here are good and brief.

Polack says: “Kani^* requested me to accompany him next day to Opoutama, near the south entrance of the bay, where we should walk over the same ground and native paths that existed in the time of Cook, and which had been traversed by him. The following morning we did so * * * * Soon after our landing we reached the indent of Opoutama, beautifully situated in a dell, encircled by rising hills covered with a variety of shrubby trees. * * * * One tree was pointed out to me as peculiar to this spot, and stated by the natives who accompanied me, and whose residences were at far distant settlements on the coast, as growing only in this valley; it was in height thirty-five feet, with spreading branches, frondiferous, and of a similar colour to a species of Phyllanthus that is found in large quantities near the beach. The tree is nuciferous, and bore at the time clusters of early berries, which, when in a mature state, are dried by the natives, and used as beads.”

“The chief now wound his way up the side of the hill, followed by myself and the friends who accompanied us. We were arrested in our progress half way by a cavern (ana), which stopped our further progress. Its arch was remarkably high, but of little depth; it was similarly argillaceous as the caves we had seen below in the bay. Kani enquired if I felt gratified, adding: ‘E koro, tenei ano te ana no Tupaea’ = This, friend, is Tupaea's cavern. I learnt that in this cave the favourite interpreter of Cook slept

with the natives:—`he was often in the habit of doing so during the heats of the day with his native friends, as is the wont of the New Zealanders,’ said my conductor;—`Tupaea was a great favourite with our fathers, so much so, that to gratify him, several children who were born in the village, during his sojourn among us, were named after him.^* A few yards in front of the cave is a small hole that was dug in the granite (sic) rock, by order of Cook, for receiving from a small spring the fluid that unceasingly flows into it. The marks of the pick-axe are as visible, at the present day, as at the period it was excavated under Cook's eye. The water had overflowed this useful little memorial of our illustrious countryman, was pellucid and very cold. The sun had not penetrated this sequestered spot for many years, from the umbrageous kahikatoa and other trees that surround it.

“Around the surface of the cavern are many native delineations, executed with charcoal, of ships, canoes sailing, men and women, dogs and pigs, etc., drawn with tolerable accuracy. Above our reach, and evidently faded by time, was the representation of a ship and some boats, which were unanimously pointed out to me, by all present, as the productions of the faithful Tahitian follower of Cook, (Tupaea). This, also, had evidently been done with similar materials. This cavern is made use of as a native resting place for the night, as the villages of Uawa are at some considerable distance from Opoutama; it is mostly in request by parties fishing for the Koura (crawfish) and other fish, which abound in all these bays.”

Mr. Locke visited the cavern and inspected it, and found that while it bore ample marks of old “delineations” such were so worn and defaced by the incessant action of the elements, and also so high over head, as to be scarcely discernible. The traditions, however, of the Maoris, respecting them and the place, were quite in keeping with Polack's relation. The perennial spring was still there, and bore its old and never-to-be-forgotten name of “Te wai kari a Tupaea” (the well dug by Tupaea).^dagger

Mr. Locke also brought me a branch of the said single tree, which at the time of his visit was unfortunately neither in flower nor fruit. However, it was sufficient for me to identify it as being Sapota costata, a tree which I had first noticed in flower at Whangarei Bay, in 1836, and in fruit at Whangaruru Bay, further north, in 1841. It had been also found by Mr. R. Cunningham, still further north, in 1834, on the shores opposite the Cavalhos Islands, between the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa, and it has since been also found at Kawau, and on some other of the islets in the Frith of the