Page:Rambles in New Zealand.djvu/73

 growing in Sydney. After a long search, we found the track by which we had passed over the mountain, and by following it I found the tree which had caused mo so much trouble. Strange enough, it was the only one of the kind I ever saw. I dismissed my guide, giving his wife a fig of tobacco as well as himself, with which he seemed as much delighted as an English labourer would have been by a person giving him a thousand pounds; indeed I doubt whether the latter would have shown half so much joy. The view of Towpo from the summit was magnificent. Immediately beneath our feet on the Tongadido side, and about half-way towards Rotuite, was a small lake on the side of the mountain, which I had not seen on my former survey of this part of the country. I should certainly have tried to reach it, had it been finer weather. It was about a quarter of a mile across, completely surrounded by forest. The curious part of it was, that it was situated on the side of a steep mountain, without any level land near. We arrived at Towpo before the other party, and I was half afraid they had again been deceiving me and were gone to some other village, which would have been particularly disagreeable, as they had the tent and all the provisions with them. I was, however, soon relieved from my apprehension by seeing them turn the corner of the mountain where it abutted on the lake. I was visited by several of my patients, most of whom said they were better for the physic. There was one old man, a great chief, and a very quiet old fellow, to whom I had been loath to give any physic, as I could not find out anything the matter with him beyond old age. I was, however, agreeably surprised to find that he fancied himself much better, and brought me a pig in return for his "rungwau." He always had a little girl with him—I suppose his grand-daughter. As he was a very quiet, gentlemanly old man, I did not like to offend him by refusing the pig, but gave the little girl some beads, and him