Page 9 - A Walk from Wellington to New Plymouth

halted for dinner consisting of biscuits and brandy and water and our horses fed on the herbage
mostly thistles, which was the only food they had during the whole journey. Mr Smith and I
started in advance of the Irishman thinking he would come up while we were preparing for the
night. This afternoon we found the bogs worse and more numerous than ever, and at length came
to one that we were obliged to fill partially with fern and rushes before we could cross, which
detained us an hour, and about half a mile further came to another bog that seemed impossible to
get the horses over, so after consultation we first tied the two tether ropes together and fastened
one end round my horse's neck and tried to throw the other end across the bog but could not
throw it more than half way. We therefore determined to sleep among the fern where we were
and wait for the Irishman to come up.

They took
me for a missionary and Mr Smith for a soldier and asked where we had come from and where
were we going etc. We slept very comfortably this night rolled up in our blankets in the fern and
awoke at day light surprised that the soldier had not come up. At daylight we got up and leaving
Mr Smith to take care of the horses, I went on alone to search for Mr Woon, the missionary.”

also
cultivate the flax plant and use the leaf in making baskets and tying anything together and even
for bootlaces. The flower of the flax plant grows on long stems about 8 or 12 feet high and