^4& On the Flax of New Zealand. 



■ fe^-s J T)e?kIeSy it i& s lively planet, and wiH require very 

 httlc eafe. It may readily be tonceived -what ad\antagc* 

 rsiis* rtsult from the culture of thii* valuable plaat^ and 

 paa-tic«Iarlv to ihe »aA'\7 as it will lighten in a %-<iFy consi- 

 dtirabk degree the lading of our vessels, for the weight of 

 the riegii>g in a J-l-aun ship is estimated at I7M'€K)5 

 Jfivriagrammes, or fiSOOO pounds. The use of the flax of 

 Kew Holland would lessen this weight more than one-'half; 

 a\«i also that of the other ropes, w hich are above the line 

 cif flmatiou; and therefore the vessel would be capable of 

 taking- in a much greater cjuaiitltv of provisions. EesideSy 

 k is well knowi> that the less the diameter of the ropes 

 above the Ijno of flotation, the less will be ths lee-way ;• 

 and, tl«;refore, these n«w ropes will contribute to accelerate 

 tlie progress oi" ships of war, which will still be increased 

 by the lightening they will expeviencc A\hcn loaded with a 

 fes* weight tlian usual, Tliese ropes being smaller and 

 lightt'r than those made uith hemp, feuer liand:^ ■will be. 

 teqiuired to manage them ; so that, if introduced,, ships will 

 fteed fewer men than those rigged with hemp. 



it i^ evident also that fibres so strong and so p1i«blc will 

 be proper for the fabrication of differeni kinds of cloth, and 

 maylx; substituted with advantage in our manufactories for 

 Ji-tmp and even ilax. They will no doubt retain in the loom 

 that superiority which they have in s-trength over hemp. 

 Tlveir whiteness and silky appearance give reason to hope 

 that iiloth made of them will exceed in beauty that manu- 

 ifactiH'ed from flax. 



All the dresse? which we purchased from the savc^es of 

 ^iew Zealand were made from the fibres of their flax. To- 

 cords of the sam« substance they had attached diflercnt or- 

 yvaftvcnts, among which were pieces of hmiian boi^es,. and 

 -cvhieh were suspended on their breast as a kind of trophy,. 

 Tliev seemed to attach great value to then), and were very 

 SJiy\v>lling to part with them. 



Their tijhing-lines were former] of two filaments twisted 

 trigether; but their nets were made from the leaves of a 

 plant separated into filaments, without any other prepara- 

 tion. As their nets are of prodigious extent, for the pur- 

 pose of fishing at a great distance from the coast, these 

 i'avage.s do not make them of ropes, because this labour 

 would require much time, and they besides fmd that their 

 flax employed in this manner is sufficient. 



Ali the piroguas which approached us had on board men 

 armed for the most part with stones, some of them of gra- 

 nite, and othtTs of serpentine, which they had atliched ta 



tiicir 



