BOTANY OF THE MOUNTAIN. Auckland, August 28. TE MOEHAU.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 295, 1 September 1888, Page 3

BOT ANY OF THE MOUNTAIN. Auckland, August 28.

TE MOEHAU.

At the meeting of the Auckland Institute last evening, an' interesting paper entitled " The Botany of the Moehau Range " was read by Mr James Adams, B.A. Mr Adams his lemarks by means of two large maps, one showing the whole of the Cape Colviile peninsula (on the northern extremity of which To Moehau mountain is situated), and the other the mountain itself and its immediate neighbourhood. Mr Adamssaid that the Moehau range might be said to commence on.tbe saddle between Cabbage Bay on the west and MatamataHarakeke on tho east, from whence rising gradually it extended to the saddle between Waioro Valley and Port Charles. Then it ro^e with a steep incline into tho Moehau mountain, which had an altitude of 2,750 feet. All the approaches to the mountain were very steep, especially at the northern end, wheto the spurs rose abruptly from the .sea. Tho appoarance ot this end was the moie forbidding irom the high and rugged rocks that stand in the sea at a little distance from the shore. There was a wolid look about the mountain from whichever point it was seen, which was greatly owing to two peaks which tower up to form the summit.' The Maoris 'in the neighbourhood had a dread of the, uppoi- parts oi the mountain?,' and avoided ib as much as possible. The' ; Maoris had still a belief that the mountain was peopled by Patupaiaiehe, or a race akin to fairies, short in stature and ot fair okin, and many legends were extant with regard to them. Even now, the natives paid, \oices of Patupaiarehe men, women, and children could sometimes be heard in the dense bush on misty days and daik night?. The dread of the Patupaiarehe (or Turehu, as they were sometimes called) no doubt hindered the natives from ascending the mountain, but it was surprising that the natural indomitable curiosity oi some colonists did not urge them to the summit. Several had made the attempt, but for one reason or another gave it Up, and a successful ascent was not made until January last, when Mr Adams and his son succeeded in accomplishing it. Mr Adams confessed his belief that if there had been among botani&U a suspicion that the top of Te Moehau was a \eiitable garden tor rare plants, winch could not be found nearer than the Kuahine lange in the Hawke's Bay district, tlm would have been a sufficient inducement to have had the mountain topexplored long ago. But there was no giound for such a suspicion. The botmy ot the other high peaks on the main range of Cape Colvilie peninsula was vciy well known, and although there might be a flight vaiiation J m some of the plants, yet the vegetation on all the peaks was strikingly similar. A catalogue of the plants on Kaitarakihi, ea&t of Puriri, and of Mamapuke, east of Tapu, differed very slightly. Bciore making tho accent of the mountain, Mr Adams had been enabled to spend some | time inspecting the botany of the sui round- I ing lou lands, and he described the geo- ! logical formation of the country about the neighbourhood ot Cabbage Bay. Along the seashore and for some distance inland he notictd the pohutukawa, ngaio, karo, kowhai, karaka, veronica pubescens, cop-ro-sina baneriana, and others. After describing the islets near the shore and their vegetation, the open land was stated by Mr Adams to b& coveied with the usual Ciicctal plants, leptospermum, &c. , and in sheltered places, kowhai, akeake, tupikihi, kareao, wharangi, titoki, which formed pretty groves. The open land was surloundcd by steep ridges that rose abruptly fiom streams which flowed at their base. Both sides and summits thickly clothed \\ith dense green toiest, amongst the ticcb found being mahoe, nikau, puiiri, kohekohe, ponga and tawa. On the highest peak ot the^e udges, To MaXau-a-ilaui, 1,018 foot high, therj was found a fine •specimen of vcionica pnbescens', fully seven feet high, and symmetrically grown. The \ eget ttion of the Pakoiero swamp near by. w.is deaciibcd, and the various plants, natne grasses, etc., enumerated. Mr Adams then lecountcd the preliminary dilhculties which attended the ascent of the Miehau. After ascending the NYaiaro Valley from Cabbage Bay. a leading spur was? a-cended, and after a steep climb of about 1.000 feet, thick bu&h w?s reached, and gicat difficulty was expeiienced in iollowmg up the spur owing to the intertwining kiekie, mangemange, kaieao, etc. At the tiig fetation, at an elc\ation ot 2,054 ieet, he observed the pulcatea and the tawhero as' the largest trees. Attcr camping in a favoiuable spot for the night, the ridge was followed up, and alter much difficulty the rounded peak, covered with stunted vegetation, was ) cached. Every step on the open giound showed that not only was the vegetation a contiast to that on the ridge, but also that it was unlike than of any other high peak on the main range throughout the peninsula. Thcie was an astonishing similarity between the Moehau plants and tho«c of the Nekon mountains. The Moehau peak was a rounded mat-sol arigitic audesite, intruded between the slate formation of which the mountain wad composed, and the open land on tho summit was about 100 acres in extent. On the flat and rounded top the tallest plants weie stunted neinei and clumps of phormiuni colensoi. Mr Adams enumerated tho plant* which ho obscived' on the peak; including "rt'pwards ot 40 vaueties, tome of which w cio not found nearer than the top of rlikurangi on. the Rnfihine range. The appearance of Llaahine plants on the sum- j mit was the more l cmarkable. asMamapuke, Kaitaiakihi and Te Aroha were respectively two or three hundred feet higher, I and it appeared to Mr Adams that Moehau was the oldest la -id formation on the Cape Colville peninsula. An extensive and unimpeded view was obtained from the summit, fiom Mamapuko in the south to the islands in tho vicinity of Auckland Harbour, and ca^t and west for a great distance. There was nothing upon the mountain to support life save perhaps nikau and a few berries, so that thpro was little inducement for the ancient Maoii to ascend it, and as no kauri grew bheie above the level ot 1,000 feet there was no attraction for the gum-digger. So, after a few expeditions had been made to fully explore the summit for plants, Te Moehau would probably be left undisturbed save by the winds.