in search of the castaways-第98章

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erns　with　which　the　lands　of　New　Zealand　abound。　　They　had　to　cut　a　path　across　the　plain；　through　these　woody　stems；　and　this　was　a　matter　of　some　difficulty；　but　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening　the　first　slopes　of　the　Hakarihoata　Ranges　were　turned；　and　the　party　camped　immediately。　After　a　fourteen　miles'　march；　they　might　well　think　of　resting。　Neither　wagon　or　tent　being　available；　they　sought　repose　beneath　some　magnificent　Norfolk　Island　pines。　　They　had　plenty　of　rugs　which　make　good　beds。　　Glenarvan　took　every　possible　precaution　for　the　night。　His　companions　and　he；　well　armed；　were　to　watch　in　turns；　two　and　two；　till　daybreak。　　No　fires　were　lighted。　　Barriers　of　fire　are　a　potent　preservation　from　wild　beasts；　but　New　Zealand　has　neither　tiger；　nor　lion；　nor　bear；　nor　any　wild　animal；　but　the　Maori　adequately　fills　their　place；　and　a　fire　would　only　have　served　to　attract　this　two…footed　jaguar。　The　night　passed　pleasantly　with　the　exception　of　the　attack　of　the　sand…flies；　called　by　the　natives；　〃ngamu；〃　and　the　visit　of　the　audacious　family　of　rats；　who　exercised　their　teeth　on　the　provisions。　Next　day；　on　the　8th　of　February；　Paganel　rose　more　sanguine；　and　almost　reconciled　to　the　country。　　The　Maories；　whom　he　particularly　dreaded；　had　not　yet　appeared；　and　these　ferocious　cannibals　had　not　molested　him　even　in　his　dreams。　〃I　begin　to　think　that　our　little　journey　will　end　favorably。　This　evening　we　shall　reach　the　confluence　of　the　Waipa　and　Waikato；　and　after　that　there　is　not　much　chance　of　meeting　natives　on　the　way　to　Auckland。〃　〃How　far　is　it　now；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃to　the　confluence　of　the　Waipa　and　Waikato？〃　〃Fifteen　miles；　just　about　what　we　did　yesterday。〃　〃But　we　shall　be　terribly　delayed　if　this　interminable　scrub　continues　to　obstruct　our　path。〃　〃No；〃　said　Paganel；　〃we　shall　follow　the　banks　of　the　Waipa；　and　then　we　shall　have　no　obstacle；　but　on　the　contrary；　a　very　easy　road。〃　〃Well；　then；〃　said　Glenarvan；　seeing　the　ladies　ready；　〃let　us　make　a　start。〃　During　the　early　part　of　the　day；　the　thick　brushwood　seriously　impeded　their　progress。　　Neither　wagon　nor　horses　could　have　passed　where　travelers　passed；　so　that　their　Australian　vehicle　was　but　slightly　regretted。　　Until　practicable　wagon　roads　are　cut　through　these　forests　of　scrub；　New　Zealand　will　only　be　accessible　to　foot　passengers。　The　ferns；　whose　name　is　legion；　concur　with　the　Maories　in　keeping　strangers　off　the　lands。　The　little　party　overcame　many　obstacles　in　crossing　the　plains　in　which　the　Hakarihoata　Ranges　rise。　　But　before　noon　they　reached　the　banks　of　the　Waipa；　and　followed　the　northward　course　of　the　river。　The　Major　and　Robert；　without　leaving　their　companions；　shot　some　snipe　and　partridge　under　the　low　shrubs　of　the　plain。　Olbinett；　to　save　time；　plucked　the　birds　as　he　went　along。　Paganel　was　less　absorbed　by　the　culinary　importance　of　the　game　than　by　the　desire　of　obtaining　some　bird　peculiar　to　New　Zealand。　His　curiosity　as　a　naturalist　overcame　his　hunger　as　a　traveler。　He　called　to　mind　the　peculiarities　of　the　〃tui〃　of　the　natives；　sometimes　called　the　mocking…bird　from　its　incessant　chuckle；　and　sometimes　〃the　parson；〃　in　allusion　to　the　white　cravat　it　wears　over　its　black；　cassock…like　plumage。　〃The　tui；〃　said　Paganel　to　the　Major；　〃grows　so　fat　during　the　Winter　that　it　makes　him　ill；　and　prevents　him　from　flying。　Then　he　tears　his　breast　with　his　beak；　to　relieve　himself　of　his　fat；　and　so　becomes　lighter。　　Does　not　that　seem　to　you　singular；　McNabbs？〃　〃So　singular　that　I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it；〃　replied　the　Major。　Paganel；　to　his　great　regret；　could　not　find　a　single　specimen；　or　he　might　have　shown　the　incredulous　Major　the　bloody　scars　on　the　breast。　But　he　was　more　fortunate　with　a　strange　animal　which；　hunted　by　men；　cats　and　dogs；　has　fled　toward　the　unoccupied　country；　and　is　fast　disappearing　from　the　fauna　of　New　Zealand。　　Robert；　searching　like　a　ferret；　came　upon　a　nest　made　of　interwoven　roots；　and　in　it　a　pair　of　birds　destitute　of　wings　and　tail；　with　four　toes；　a　long　snipe…like　beak；　and　a　covering　of　white　feathers　over　the　whole　body；　singular　creatures；　which　seemed　to　connect　the　oviparous　tribes　with　the　mam…mifers。

It　was　the　New　Zealand　〃kiwi；〃　the　_Apteryx　australis_　of　naturalists；　which　lives　with　equal　satisfaction　on　larvae；　insects；　worms　or　seeds。　This　bird　is　peculiar　to　the　country。　　It　has　been　introduced　into　very　few　of　the　zoological　collections　of　Europe。　　Its　graceless　shape　and　comical　motions　have　always　attracted　the　notice　of　travelers；　and　during　the　great　exploration　of　the　Astrolabe　and　the　Zelee；　Dumont　d'Urville　was　principally　charged　by　the　Academy　of　Sciences　to　bring　back　a　specimen　of　these　singular　birds。　But　in　spite　of　rewards　offered　to　the　natives；　he　could　not　obtain　a　single　specimen。　Paganel；　who　was　elated　at　such　a　piece　of　luck；　tied　the　two　birds　together；　and　carried　them　along　with　the　intention　of　presenting　them　to　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；　in　Paris。　　〃Presented　by　M。　Jacques　Paganel。〃　　He　mentally　saw　the　flattering　inscription　on　the　handsomest　cage　in　the　gardens。　　Sanguine　geographer！　The　party　pursued　their　way　without　fatigue　along　the　banks　of　the　Waipa。　　The　country　was　quite　deserted；　not　a　trace　of　natives；　nor　any　track　that　could　betray　the　existence　of　man。　The　stream　was　fringed　with　tall　bushes；　or　glided　along　sloping　banks；　so　that　nothing　obstructed　the　view　of　the　low　range　of　hills　which　closed　the　eastern　end　of　the　valley。　With　their　grotesque　shapes；　and　their　outlines　lost　in　a　deceptive　haze；　they　brought　to　mind　giant　animals；　worthy　of　antediluvian　times。　　They　might　have　been　a　herd　of　enormous　whales；　suddenly　turned　to　stone。　　These　disrupted　masses　proclaimed　their　essentially　volcanic　character。　New　Zealand　is；　in　fact；　a　formation　of　recent　plutonic　origin。　Its　emergence　from　the　sea　is　constantly　increasing。　Some　points　are　known　to　have　risen　six　feet　in　twenty　years。　Fire　still　runs　across　its　center；　shakes　it；　convulses　it；　and　finds　an　outlet　in　many　places　by　the　mouths　of　geysers　and　the　craters　of　volcanoes。　At　four　in　the　afternoon；　nine　miles　had　been　easily　accomplished。　According　to　the　map　which　Paganel　constantly　referred　to；　the　confluence　of　the　Waipa　and　Waikato　ought　to　be　reached　about　five　miles　further　on；　and　there　the　night　halt　could　be　made。　Two　or　three　days　would　then　suffice　for　the　fifty　miles　which　lay　between　them　and　the　capital；　and　if　Glenarvan　happened　to　fall　in　with　the　mail　coach　that　plies　between　Hawkes'　Bay　and　Auckland　twice　a　month；　eight　hours　would　be　sufficient。　〃Therefore；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃we　shall　be　obliged　to　camp　during　the　night　once　more。〃　〃Yes；〃　said　Paganel；　〃but　I　hope　for　the　last　time。〃　〃I　am　very　glad　to　think　so；　for　it　is　very　trying　for　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant。〃　〃And　they　never　utter　a　murmur；〃　added　John　Mangles。　　〃But　I　think　I　heard　you　mention　a　village　at　the　confluence　of　these　rivers。〃　〃Yes；〃　said　the　geographer；　〃here　it　is；　marked　on　Johnston's　map。　It　is　Ngarnavahia；　two　miles　below　the　junction。〃　〃Well；　could　we　not　stay　there　for　the　night？　　Lady　Helena　and　Miss　Grant　would　not　grudge　two　miles　more　to　find　a　hotel　even　of　a　hu