2 NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. 



waterfalls and forests of New Zealand — especially the latter — are well worthy 

 of notice. 



Before I enter upon a more minute description of the natural productions of 

 the country, I shall conduct the reader from the heads of the river Hookyarga to 

 the Wcsleyan Mission station, Mungung, through some of the most delightful 

 scenery in the world. The appearance of the country is not, at first sight, very 

 interesting to the naturalist. The north head is composed of a barren sand-hill 

 in a conical form, being an excellent mark for vessels entering the river ; it is 

 destitute of all vegetation, and is of a whitish colour ; whilst that of the south 

 is composed of high broken hills. The barren rocks appear through in many 

 places, and arc clothed with verdure to their summits, the foliage being of a remark- 

 ably light green colour, which contrasted well with the sombre appearance of the 

 dark ^basaltic rocks. The whole island bears very strong marks of volcanic 

 agency. 



On the south head an English sailor has built a small house, and hoists signals to 



denote whether it is safe to cross the bar at the mouth of the river. The river at 



the north is about three miles broad, and does not decrease in breadth for about four 



miles from the heads,* when wc come to the first native village or settlement, called 



Parkani, where the chief of the heads resides, who came on board as soon as the 



vessel passed the village. Ho was a fine, tall, good-looking man for a New- 



Zcalandcr, with his face, arms, and thighs much tattooed. The only covering he 



wore was a largo green blanket, in which he was enveloped. He brought a 



present of Water-melons, Figs, Maize (or Indian Corn), and Peaches. The 



Peaches differed from any I have yet seen, being of a j^cllowish colour, and 



possessing more of the flavour of Primus Armeniaca than of Amygdalw. A 



little above Parkani the river takes a slight turn to the left ; the first European 



settlement is situated on the rigbt bank, on a small isolated point of land called 



" one tree point." At this part of the river the banks are steep, being composed 



of a soft sinuous rock, which is much perforated by a species of Pholas, but as I 



could not obtain a perfect specimen, I was unable to distinguish the species. The 



banks above high- water mark were covered with a profusion of Ferns, among 



which I found Polypodium scandens and P. pustzdatum, growing among large 



bushes of Leptospermum scoparium, which was in full flower. 



Somewhat above the point is a small rock or island cut into terraces, and which 

 was used by the natives as a place of defence previous to the introduction of 

 fire-arms. It is now covered with a profusion of Anthropodium cirratum, and a 

 small species of Pimelea, which I took for P. filamentosa. 



The country becomes more interesting the further we proceed up the river, 

 which is now about one mile broad, the forest for the first time coming to the 

 water's edge, which, from its luxuriant appearance, induced me to land. After 



