"The barometrical observations made during this tour were reduced by comparison with those of the Royal Engineer's Observatory at Auckland, the tables used in which were obligingly put at my disposal by Colonel Mould, R.E.
"There are also to be noticed an immense number of drawings and photographs, taken during the Expedition, as also some very valuable landscape sketches, made for me by Mr. Heaphy.
"There still remained, however, a most interesting object for examination in the vicinity of Auckland, namely, the Cape Colville peninsula on the eastern shores of Hauraki Bay. The discovery of gold in Coromandel Harbour on this coast, had some years before created great excitement. I devoted a few days of fine weather in the month of June to visiting these gold-fields; a projected visit to the copper-mines of Great Barrier Island, and the Island of Kawau, had unfortunately to be abandoned, owing to bad weather.
"With this, the period of my stay at Auckland was drawing to a close. At the request of the members of the Mechanics' Institute, I delivered on the 24th June, shortly before my departure, a lecture in the hall of the society, upon the geological capabilities of the province, in which I threw together the chief results of my investigations, and illustrated them by means of roughly-executed charts, plans, sketches, and photographs. As I had neither time nor complete material for a more extended report, it was on this lecture that Government relied for an account of my various operations. The arrangement and careful packing of the collections, and the drawing the maps, delayed my departure for some weeks, and after my days of labour followed others, still more impossible to forget, of agreeable society and festive meetings, ere I could tear myself away from the inhabitants of Auckland. Thousands of mementos of New Zealand were thrust into my hands. My collections comprised treasures of all sorts, such as must for ever engrave on my memory the forests and mountains of New Zealand. But I had yet again to thank the good people of Auckland for a last souvenir of their kindly feeling and generosity to myself. On the 24th July I was invited to a banquet in the name of the province, at which I was presented, in terms far too flattering, with an address,[57] accompanied by an elegant and valuable testimonial.