HOW THE STOHY HAS BKKX \\1UTTKX. 19 



accompanying the expedition was an enthusiastic botanist, Raoul by 

 name, the surgeon of the corvette ' L'Aube." He collected most 

 assiduously the plants of Banks Peninsula, and also those of the Bay 

 of Islands. His services to New Zealand science are kept ever green 

 through the name of that genus of most interesting plants, Paoulia. 

 (fig. 5), bestowed en them in his honour by Sir Joseph Hooker. Raoul's 

 results were published in a splendid work, written by himself, and 

 illustrated with fine plates, entitled " Choix de Plantes de la Nouvelle 

 Zelande." One of the species discovered by Raoul (Pittosporum 

 obcordatum) in the neighbourhood of Akaroa has never been found 

 there since his visit, but lately a few plants have been discovered 

 near Kaitaia, in northern Auckland. 



COLENSO AND HIS BOTANICAL WORK IX THE NORTH ISLAND. 



Six years before Raoul's visit, the Rev. William Colenso (fig. 6). 

 then a young man of twenty-three, landed in the Bay of Islands, and 

 from that time on. for a space of sixty-five years, he was a most ardent 

 investigator in ethnology, the Maori tongue, zoology, and botany. 

 This last alone concerns us here. 



As a missionary amongst the Natives in the very early days of the 

 colony, Colenso travelled much in the wilds, and was brought face to 

 face with nature. He collected plants of all kinds most industriously, 

 sending them in large quantities to Kew. Before Colenso's explorations 

 comparatively little was known regarding the alpine vegetation, which 

 is, indeed, in more ways than one, the most interesting of all. Endur- 

 ing considerable hardships, in company with, several Maoris he crossed 

 over the Ruahine Mountains, being the first European to accomplish 

 this feat. On the summit the alpine vegetation in all its beauty 

 met his delighted gaze. But here are the explorer's own words : 

 When we emerged from the forest and the tangled shrubbery at its 

 outskirts on to the open dell-like land just before we gained the summit. 

 the lovely appearance of so many and varied beautiful and novel 

 wild plants and flowers richly repaid me the toil of the journey and 

 ascent, for never did I behold at one time in New Zealand such a pro- 

 fusion of Flora's stores. In one word. I was overwhelmed with astonish- 

 ment, and stood, looking with all my eyes, greedily devouring and 

 drinking in the enchanting scene before me. . . . Here were 

 plants of the well-known genera of the bluebells and buttercups, 

 gowans and daisies, eyebrights and speedwells of one's native land 



