A WALK IN THE FOREST.

57

except owls liking to live out of his bright rays; indeed, Tom very soon had this truth proved, as, on reaching an open space, they were greeted by the voices of hundreds of little songsters, who were so innocent of any fear, that they scarcely moved out of the travellers' way, hopping from branch to branch as Tom shook them off.

From this break in the forest, a fine open country lay before them for many miles, covered with long grass, and the English fern, short in comparison with the tree, but still towering in many places a foot above Tom's head. A large river lay a short way off, and upon the banks of this they proposed resting for the night, as the rapidity of the current made crossing rather a dangerous undertaking, requiring both time and a careful examination; for, well as the guides knew the river, every flood changes the depth of the bed; there are so many quicksands, that however shallow the stream may appear, the ford may be impassable; besides these changeable dangers, there is one which is equally formidable, and is always a barrier against any progress; namely, the fearful force of current or stream, against which, even in shallow water, it is often impossible to struggle, and the rash traveller is often swept down, and, if he is not fortunate enough to reach a piece of quieter water, he is almost certain to be drowned, as it is well known that if a man once loses his footing in even a comparatively mild current, there is very little chance of his regaining it again, or swimming against the stream.

The banks of this river were precipitous and covered with shrubs and fern, while the bed of the stream was a wide ravine, covered with large stones and trunks of trees,

carried down by the floods, and left lying about in every direction, giving it a dismal and wild appearance, showing that though the river at present consisted only of three narrow streams rushing down the valley, during a flood it must entirely fill it, and present a truly magnificent

scene.

The encampment for the night upon the bank of the river was a most exciting thing to Tom; and remembering what he had read Robinson Crusoe did in his lonely island, he proposed looking for a cave. This the guides laughed at, telling him they would soon make him a capital house. Accordingly, they set to work cutting down the young pine trees that grew in abundance all about. These they stuck into the ground, resting them against each other, like a card house, but securing them with a rope they carried for the purpose. Having thus formed a strong and secure framework, they gathered armfuls of fern and laid it against the slanting holes, much as you see men thatching cottages. Over this they laid some heavy bags, to prevent the sudden gales of wind which are so frequent and violent in New Zealand, from tearing them away.

Tom looked on in great delight, thinking how nice it would be to make just such huts for himself, when his father had settled on his "run," as a sheep farm is called.

Tom peeped into the hut, which looked very comfortable, particularly when the bottom was covered by a thick layer of moss and grass, to form a bed; and next morning both he and his father declared they had never slept souuder, and felt quite sorry to leave their pretty little restingplace.

Long before either of them were awake, the guides had

CROSSING A RIVER.

59

discovered a safe place to cross the river, though the current was so rapid as to render the precaution of a rope, tied round the waist of each man, very advisable. Poor Tom would have had a very faint chance of crossing, had this not been the plan; as it was, he lost his footing, and was only saved by the support of the rope.

Their journey, for the next two or three days, was much the same. They crossed no less than three rivers, struggled through another forest, bivouacked at night under the fern tent we have described, pursuing their way in daylight, occasionally shooting wild-ducks or other birds for their supper. Thus they journeyed forward, and on the fourth day reached the coast, along which their path now lay, for some distance, passing a cape, called upon the map, Double Corner. On their way, they took their guide's advice, and made a call at a settlement belonging to two Englishmen.

Captain Graham was very glad to have an opportunity of seeing such a well-conducted farm, and received a great deal of very good advice from his hosts, who had lived for many years in the Canterbury settlement, and travelled through most of it, looking at the different "blocks," or divisions of land the Government buys from the natives to resell to the settlers; one, in particular, they strongly advised Captain Graham to look at as soon as he arrived. at Christchurch, as it was very well situated, had a good deal of clear plain, and a nice stream running through part of it, upon which a situation for a house might easily be found. Tom heard of the plan with great delight. His journey had made him wild for a bush life, and the thought of living with his father in fern tents, while they were

superintending the clearing and building of a house for his mother and the others, was almost too charming to dwell upon; and had Captain Graham been inclined to forget the advice (which he was not), Tom would assuredly have given him no excuse to do so, as he talked of nothing else all the way to Christchurch, examining everything they saw, with a view to finding out whether it would be useful in the bush, and making so many wonderful plans, that if half of them had been even divided among half-a-dozen settlers' families, the district would have been the most perfect province in New Zealand. Although he did not say so openly, it was evident that the river was Tom's greatest attraction. Upon this he settled he was to have a boat to convey the corn, etc., never stopping to find out the size of the river, or where it ran into the bay; all he thought of was the boat.

CHAPTER X.

Arrival at Christchurch-The Backbone of New Zealand-Finding Lodgings-Tom's new Friend.

TOM, who had imagined all the road to Christchurch would be equally wild, was very much surprised to find that, after leaving Stoneyhurst, the settlement where they got such good advice, they lost sight of the bush, and travelled through a succession of neat farms, with enclosed fields, farm-houses, and a very tolerable road; indeed, as they approached Christchurch, it became so good that the guides proposed hiring a spring cart, at a farm. In this they jogged merrily along, through rich fields and orchards, past gay gardens, and comfortable dwelling-houses, occasionally meeting a dog-cart, cart, or gentleman or lady on horseback, appearances of civilization that cheered Captain Graham's heart as much as they disappointed Tom's newly born passion for roughing it in the bush.

Approaching the town at last, the view was very beautiful, as Port Lyttelton, or Victoria, as it is called upon some maps, is really one of the prettiest harbours in the world. It is bounded, or rather rounded, on the south and southeast, by Banks' Peninsula, the high ground of which rises into fair hills, covered with the brightest and richest shades of green you could possibly paint. Far to the west, and as far as the eye can reach, tower the great chain of