"Of course you will," replied Old Colonial, who is nothing if not optimistic in his views. "I tell you what; we shall all live to see not only a good road through this, but farms and settlements and hotels along it!" "Bravo!" returned Dandy Jack. "Then I'll start a coach to run from Kawa-kawa to Whangarei, and on to Mangawai, or across to Te Pahi, perhaps. Might pick up some trade, don't you think?" "I reckon your coach would be a failure, old man," continued Old Colonial. "I expect to see a railway one of these days, connecting Auckland with the Bay, and all the places between. Not much room for your coach then!" "Oh, they'll not make a railroad up here this century." "I expect they will, though," said our chief, impressively. "And, look here! I'll tell you what's going to help make business for it. The Bay and Hokianga are our classic ground." "Classic ground?" "Certainly. Here are the places where Captain Cook came, and Tasman, and all the early voyagers. Here's where the first missionaries came; where colonization commenced; where British sovereignty was established. Here's where the history of the early days has got to be written. Here's where Hongi lived, and Hone Heke after him; where the first Maori war was fought; where battles were won, and pas stormed, and treaties signed. This is the most illustrious district in the whole colony. Whatever memories we've got date from here. I tell you that streams of tourists will want to come and see these places some day. We ought to make more of them now than we do." So rhapsodized Old Colonial, after a manner that occasionally affects him, while the forest gleamed redly round us with the reflection of our camp-fire, and a bittern boomed in mockery and remonstrance from a neighbouring swamp. I heard Dandy Jack softly murmuring to the trees— "Meet nurse for a poetic child; Land of brown heath and shaggy wood! Land of the mountain and the flood!" And when Old Colonial attempted to continue— "If this isn't classic ground, what is, I should like to know? Posterity will—--" Dandy Jack cut him short with a loud declamation from "Locksley Hall." But I remembered the allusion to classic ground, in spite of our merriment at the time, and, accordingly, it finds effect in this chapter. The little settlement of Mangapai is much like those we are accustomed to in the Kaipara. It is situated on a creek and inlet of the Whangarei Harbour. But the township of Whangarei itself, some eight miles further north, is in a considerably more advanced stage than anything we can show.