uffered during that expedition, wedged in the bottom of
that canoe, and holding on to the sides, I shall never forget. The
rascally Indians made matters worse by occasionally giving sly lurches
to the boat, and being within an ace of capsizing her. I had two days of
that work before I got to a village where I could obtain a craft of
reasonable size, and I should think I must have lost two stone in weight
during the time. You think that that was rather an advantage I can see,
Miss Mitford," he broke off, seeing a smile upon the girl's face. "Well,
yes, I could spare that and more, but I should prefer that it was
abstracted by other means than that of agony of mind; besides, these
improvements are not permanent."

After a hearty breakfast the party prepared for their start. Mrs.
Mitford had already said that she should not accompany them, the
distance being longer than she cared to ride; and four horses were
therefore brought round. Mr. Atherton was first seen fairly on his way
in a good-sized boat, paddled by two powerful Maoris. Mr. Mitford, his
daughters, and Wilfrid then mounted; the lad had already been asked if
he was accustomed to riding.

"Not lately," he replied, "but I used to have a pony and rode a good
deal when I was a small boy, and I daresay I can stick on."

Wilfrid was delighted with his ride through the forest. In his other
trips ashore their way had led through an open country with low scrub
bush, and this was his first experience of a New Zealand forest. Ferns
were growing everywhere. The tree-ferns, coated with scales, rose from
thirty to forty feet in the air. Hymenophylla and polypodia, in
extraordinary variety, covered the trunks of the forest trees with
luxuriant growth. Smaller ferns grew between the branches and twigs, and
a thick growth of ferns of many species extended everywhere over the
ground.

The trees were for the most part pines of different varieties, but
differing so widely in appearance from those Wilfrid had seen in
England, that had not Mr. Mitford assured him that they were really
pines he would never have guessed they belonged to that family. Mr.
Mitford gave him the native names of many of them. The totara matai were
among the largest and most beautiful. The rimu was distinguished by its
hanging leaves and branches, the tanekaha by its parsley-shaped leaves.
Among them towered up the poplar-shaped rewarewa and the hinau, whose
fruit Mr. Mitford said was the favourite food of