Page:Through South Westland.djvu/39

Rh and west. To a very large extent the western species do not grow on the east, except in certain places such as the Kaikouras, where the forest is very like a western forest. Farther south still, tree-ferns and pines occur; but, speaking broadly, the ranges on the east have beech forest, while the west has pine forest and a sub-tropical flora of its own.

The road ziz-zagged in loops down a steep descent above a torrent. Bare, forbidding rocks and screens of loose stones ran up on one side, and presently we arrived at a place where they had all run down in a terrific rock-slide. The road was gone. A forlorn coach and one or two buggies had been abandoned there, but already a narrow track was scratched across the face of the débris. We led the horses over the sliding mass, and gained the undamaged road beyond. The road-menders told us of the violence of yesterday’s storm which had wrecked the road, snapping off great forest trees, and strewing the track with wreckage. When we arrived at the Otira we found matters were in an even more congested state than at the Bealey. And still the people arrived! Not a bed or a towel was to be had, and at least sixty had slept there that night!

A young man was hastily evicted to make room for me (although they failed to clear out his personal effects), and Transome, after being promised a room, had to share it with two others.

At midnight the rightful owner arrived at my