216 ON THE VEGETATION, ETC.,,OF AUCKLAND. 
been made on the forest, and in places where surveyors have been at 
work for years, their labours have rarely extended a gunshot from 
their houses. Besides the Kanuri, the other trees felled are chiefly the 
Pohutukana and Rata (Metrosideros tomentosa and robusta), the Puriri 
(Vitex littoralis), for ship-timbers and other purposes requiring great 
durability and strength. The number of Kauri-trees must be dimi- 
nishing, for in many places, where the felling of timber has been carried 
on, there are no young trees rising up to supply the place of others 
decayed from age, or cut for removal; but that is not the case in the 
part of the Manukau forest nearest Auckland, where the young trees 
of all sizes are very numerous. 
Though the Kauri does not grow to such a large size in the Manu- 
kau forest as in others farther north, vegetation is exceedingly vigo- 
rous, and it presents an inexhaustible field of interest to the botanist. 
The trunks of the old trees are clothed and festooned with Astelas, 
climbing Metrosideros, Orchidaceae, Ferns, Mosses, and Jungermanniæ, 
in the greatest profusion. The deep hollows within the forest are 
penetrated with difficulty, from the interlaced stems of the Ripogonum 
and other under-shrubs. In the deep sheltered parts of the forest, 
some plants are found of extraordinary size, and amongst them I 
have measured the reca sapida thirty-six feet high, and the Oya- 
thea dealbata attaining a height of fifty-four feet. It is along the 
margin of the forest, however, and up the abrupt winding ravines, and 
at the sawing stations, where the falling of lofty trees brings down 
masses of vegetation generally beyond reach, that botanizing is pur- 
sued with most success. 
With respect to the progress of the colony and the prospects of the 
‘settlers who have made it their home, I think the information I can 
give you will be satisfactory. Ten years have passed since the Govern- 
ment was established, and the European population at the present time 
must be not less than 25,000. Near one-third of this number are in 
Auckland, or living in villages or places almost within sight of it. In 
all parts of the colony, I believe the frugal, sober, and industrious 
settlers have done exceedingly well. Privations, which have been so 
generally felt in the early years of the settlement of other colonies, 
have been unknown here. The number of those who came hither with- 
out or with little means, and have already realized a competency, is 
very great. The large capitalists, of which there have been few, have 
not done comparatively so well, although some even of them have made 
