io8 A V O Y A G E T O 



1777- till towards the top. The bark is white, which makes them 



January. ^ 



V — 'v-^ appear, at a diflance, as if they had been peeled; it is alfo 

 thick ; and within it arc fometimes collecfled, pieces of a red- 

 difh tranTparent gum or refin, which has an aftringent tafte. 

 The leaves of this tree are long, narrow, and pointed ; and 

 it bears clufters of fmall white flowers, whofe cups were, 

 a;t this time, plentifully fcattered about the ground, with 

 another fort refembling them fomewhat in fliape, but much 

 larger; which makes it probable that there are two /pedes of 

 this tree. The bark of the fmailer branches, fruit, and 

 leaves, have an agreeable pungent tafte, and aromatic fmelli 

 not unlike peppermint; and in its nature, it has fome 

 aflinity to the rnyrtus of botanifls. 



The moft com.mon tree, next to this, is a fmall one about 

 ten feet high, branching pretty much, with narrow leaves, 

 and a large, yellow, cylindrical flower, confifting only of a 

 vafl; number of filaments; which, being fhed, leave a fruit 

 like a pine top. Both the above-mentioned trees are un- 

 known in Europe. 



The underwood confifls chiefly of a flirub fomewhat re- 

 fembling a myrtle, and v/hich feems to be the kptofpermum 

 fcoparium, mentioned in Dr. Forfler's Char. Gen. Plant. ; and, in 

 fome places, of another, rather fmailer, which is a ixQw/pe-^ 

 cies of the melaleuca of Linnceus. 



Of other plants, which are by no means numerous, there 

 vs, 2l fpec'ies, oi gladiolus, rufh, bell-flower, famphire, a fmaii 

 fort of wood-forrel, milk-wort, cudweed, and Job's tears ; 

 with a few others, peculiar to the place. There are feveral, 

 kinds of fern, as polypody, fpleenwort, female fern, and, 

 fome mofles ; but the /pedes are either common, or at leaft 

 found ill fome other countries, efpecially New Zealand. 



The 

 8 



