Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/53

Rh It was ideal weather to see the Kea, but certainly not the weather one would have chosen for a long ride on horseback in order to take photographs on an open mountain side.

We were away in good time; and, with my camera protected with sacks, we slowly made our way over the saddle that separated us from the Mathias River. We crossed the summit in the face of a biting wind, and took the track leading down to the river flat. This was steep and



slippery, and it was only the surefootedness of the horses that prevented nasty falls. Once down on to the river-bed, we found the air less keen; but the sleet and low hanging clouds made the scene lonely and depressing. “Just the weather,” remarked Mr. Urquhart to me, “for the Keas to kill sheep.” For a long time we rode on, with the river on one side and