boat on which we were passengers had one very handy employee. He handled baggage, and also served tea in the afternoon. When we stopped for lunch at the houseboat he assisted in waiting on the tables, and when we reached the hotel at Pipiriki he helped wait on the tables. He also assisted with the ropes when the boat landed, which it did a few times, to throw mail out on the bank where there was no town, no houses, and no people in sight. It also delivered a little freight in the same way, and one passenger landed at a lonely place and disappeared in the bush.
Friday, January 24.—We were aroused at 4:30 this
morning, and departed at 5:30 to complete the journey
down the river to the railroad and the sea. The
lower portion of the Waunganui is as interesting as the
upper; although we rode in a larger boat, there were
as many rapids today as yesterday—the road was covered,
but the pilot was compelled to follow it as closely
as a chauffeur follows an automobile road. One rapids
was so narrow and crooked that the only way to get
through was to trust to luck, and bump through. The
captain was the pilot in all the critical places, but at
least three other men seemed to know the river, and
took turns at the wheel. One of them was a Maori
dude, with fancy clothes, and every native along the
way waved at him. The pilot was also the engineer;
the men down below had nothing to do but keep up
steam. Beside the pilot was a throttle whereby he
shut off steam, reversed, went half speed, or full speed;
