... I must tell you about my journey here from the Thames gold-fields. First, three hours in a capital little steamer, the Te Aroha, up the lovely river Thames, passing through forests of the white pine (_kahikatia_), with shapely blue hills beyond, and the banks of the river fringed with lovely vegetation—New Zealand flax, convolvulus, tree-ferns, masses of sweet-brier (imported), and splendid weeping willows, also imported, but now growing more luxuriantly than I ever saw them do in England. And here and there rich pasture-land and many cattle feeding, mostly the property of the Maoris, for we were now passing through lands reserved by the natives, and saw many of their villages. We reached the steamboat’s destination at sunset, when the hills were crimson and purple, and had the luck to see a real native _pah_ which the inhabitants have just fortified, to prevent a hostile tribe from coming up the river. It was nothing to look at, only reeds and posts, but interesting of course. All the wild unkempt women came out to look at me, and we waved hands. Lucky for me that we were safe out of nose-rubbing distance! The civilised Maoris have taken to European ways in every respect—have English houses, carriages, &c.; even dressing-tables with white muslin covers and pink lining! At the landing-place I was met by Mr Allom. One of Captain Fraser’s horses had been sent for me; I have my own excellent saddle, and we had a lovely moonlight ride of about five miles along the beautiful Ohinemuri river (that means “the girl I have left”). I received most cordial welcome from Mrs Allom, a handsome pleasant lady (none the less so for many years of severe roughing), and the mother of a large family. They are now living in a rough wooden shanty, and themselves doing all their cooking, &c., in the one living-room. They made me most comfortable; and at break of day Mrs A. was astir, quietly and unaffectedly, preparing a capital breakfast (having fed the horses herself at 4 A.M.), and at 7 A.M. Mr A., his eldest daughter, and I, started to ride here—a twenty-five miles’ ride, which became twenty-eight by our having to make a long circuit round a swamp, as the foot-track which we were following crossed an innocent-looking creek, in which the foremost horse got hideously bogged.