284 THE WOODS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Feb. 



sleepers, etc. Bridges in various parts of the colony afford proof of 

 its durability. 



Besides the above, the following woods may be also lueutioued : — 



The Kawaka, cypress, or cedar (Liboccdrus doniana). A noble 

 tree, attaining a height of 60 to 100 feet, and 3 to 5 feet 

 diameter. The wood is reddish, fine-grained, and heavy, and said 

 to be excellent for planks and spars. It is abixndant in the forests 

 near the Bay of Islands and north of Auckland. 



Rimu or red pine {Dacrydium mprcssimim). — A tree with a trunk 

 80 to 130 feet high, and 2 to G feet diameter. Furnishes a useful 

 red wood, clear-grained, heavy and solid, largely used in the manu- 

 facture of furniture, the old wood being handsomely marked like 

 rosewood, but of a lighter colour. 



Monoao, or yellow pine {Dacrydium colcnsoi). — A tree from 20 to 

 80 feet high, wood light and yellow, greatly valued for furniture. 

 It is one of the most durable and strongest timbers in New Zealand, 

 posts of the wood having been in use among the Maories for several 

 hundred years. 



TaneJcaha (Phyllodcdus triclwmanoidcs). — A slender handsome 

 tree, 60 feet high, but the trunk rarely exceeds 3 feet in diameter. 

 Wood pale, close-grained, and excellent for planks and spars ; resists 

 decay in moist positions in a remarkable manner. 



Rata or iron wood {Metrosidcros lucida). — Attains a height of 30 

 to 6 feet, with a diameter of 2 to 1 feet. The timber of this 

 tree forms a valuable cabinet wood ; it is of a dark red colour 

 and splits freely. It has been much used for knees and timbers in 

 shipbuilding, and would probably answer well for cogs and spur 

 wheels. 



Pohutukawa {Metrosidcros tomentosa). — A tree with numerous 

 massive arms ; height, from 30 to 60 feet ; trunk, 2 to 4 feet in 

 diameter, mostly confined to Auckland, but used for the framework 

 of ships. 



There are now 230 sawmills in the colony. The bulk of the 

 shipment is Kauri pine, made to Australia and the South Sea 

 Islands. The value of such timber exports has oscillated; in 1853 

 it was £92,984, but in 1865 it had sunk to £12,725; it had 

 risen with a bound in 1873 to £44,039, sinking in 1879 to 

 £35,735 ; but in 1883 it amountedfto £151,608. The political 

 crises of the colony appear to mark the violent fluctuations of Mr. 

 Simmonds's table of prices. 



