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ZEALAND, NEW. 



ZEALAND, NEW. 



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8 ized valley bounded by the hills which extend along the sea-coast 

 between Kaipara and Manukao Harbour, and is separated from an 

 inlet of the harbour of Auckland in the Gulf of Hauraki by a neck of 

 land about three miles wide, consisting of low hills, across which the 

 natives frequently dragged their canoes in time of war. The tide 

 ascends the Kaipara for several miles from its mouth, and so far it is 

 navigable for large vessels. The Waikato is the largest river in New 

 Ulster. Its source is in the Rangitoto Mountains, or rather in a con- 

 tinuation south of them, called the Kai Munatoa Range. It is a com- 

 bination of numerous streams which fall into Lake Taupo, the Waikato 

 being the outlet of that lake. Lake Taupo ia 1337 feet above the sea- 

 level, or higher than the Lake of Geneva. The Waikato leaves the 

 lake at its north-eastern extremity, and is there about 300 yards wide 

 and very deep. It runs first north-east, but afterwards in a general 

 north-north-west direction, until it reaches 37 30' S. lat., when it is 

 joined by it great tributary the Waipa. In approaching Manukao 

 Bay it turns south-west, and falls into the sea. The whole course of 

 the Waikato probably exceeds 250 miles. In the middle part of its 

 course the navigation, if not entirely interrupted, is rendered difficult 

 by numerous rapids. The mouth of this river does not form a bay, 

 bat is a narrow channel, which at low water only vessels of about 30 

 tons can enter ; but inside the headlands it is a full river, and when 

 the tide is in it is navigable for large vessels for about 40 or 50 miles 

 to the place where it is joined by the river Waipa. This river rises in 

 the Rangitoto Mountains north-west of Lake Taupo, and runs above 

 100 miles, of which about 60 miles are navigable for large boats. To 

 the east ia a plain drained by three rivers, the Waiho, the Waitou, 

 and the Ptiko, which receives the Waitou before it and the Waiho fall 

 into the Gulf of Hauraki, at the east and west corners of its southern 

 end. The \Vailto, which is also called the Thamet, drains the plain in 

 its whole extent, rising in the Horohoro Hills, on the border of the 

 table-land of Roturua. Its course is about 100 miles, of which 90 

 miles are navigable for large boats. The Pialco, which rises ou the 

 hills bordering the western eirfe of the plain, is much smaller, and runs 

 only about 30 miles. The itokau, rises on the western side of the 

 Rangitoto Mountains, and after a course of about 20 miles falls into 

 the sea in 38" 30" S. lat. Somewhat south-east of the upper sources 

 of the Waiho lies the table-land of Roturua, so called from the largest 

 of the numerous lakes which are dispersed over its surface. The Lake 

 of Roturua is about 24 miles in circumference, and nearly circular. 

 Near it there are many hot-springs, and some of them close to its 

 bank*. From some of the openings in the ground every five minutes 

 a column of steam and water, two feet in diameter, is thrown up to 

 tbe height of three or four feet. Other lakes are filled with warm 

 water, and in some of them the thermometer rises to 95, or 30 

 degrees higher than the air. There are several cones of pure sulphur, 

 and mud volcanoes. The soil consists of a black mould a few inches 

 thick, resting ou a substratum of pumice gravel. It is in general light, 

 but possesses a considerable degree of fertility. The Wanyanui rises 

 on tbe north-western declivity of the volcanic peaks of Puki Onaki, and 

 runs with numerous windings to Petre, on Cook Strait. The mouth 

 is more than hulf a mile wide, and has ou the bar 8 feet of water. 

 Teasels of 280 tons have passed over it, but at low water the sea 

 breaks across the bar. Inside the bar the river grows deeper, and is 

 about 300 yards wide. The banks are here low and sandy, and covered 

 with drift-wood and pumice-stone, which the river brings down from 

 the volcanic region surrounding its source. At the distance of some 

 mile* an extensive flat extends along the banks, which u bare of 

 timber and even of bushea, and in its natural state is covered with flax 

 and fern : it is considered well adapted for grazing. About 30 miles 

 from the mouth the river flows between hills, which are well wooded, 

 and extend to the base of Mount Tongariro. But in approaching that 

 onmmit the country U again more open and flat, though much broken. 

 The Wavgjiku rises from the same source ou Ruapahu as the \Yatlcato, 

 and falls into the sea 9 miles south from the Wangaiiui. The If ana- 

 fat* takes iU rise on the southern declivity of Mount Ruapahu, and 

 runs along the eastern side of the Rua-Wahine Range, southward, in a 

 valley between mountain ridges, about 70 or 80 miles, when it pierces 

 the range through a cleft by turning westward, and enters the lower 

 country along Cook Strait, about 40 miles south from Petre. As, with 

 all the rivers in Cook Strait, th force of the current a not strong 

 enough to remove the sand which is thrown up at iU mouth by the 

 wjulh-we-terly and north-westerly winds, and the depth over the bar 

 is only 6 feet at low water : tbe tide rues 8 feet The breadth at tbe 

 mouth is about 300 yards at half tide. 



Cook Strait, which separates New Ulster from New Munster, is 

 about 150 miles long, and lies from south-by-east to north- by-west 

 .Vt iU southern entrance, between Cape Kawakawa in New Ulster and 

 (Jape Campbell ill New Munster, it is about 50 miles wide; but the 

 promontories which form iU northern entrance, Cape Farewell in New 

 Monster and Cape Egmont in New Ulster, are more than 100 miles 

 distant from each other. At the narrowest part, opposite Cape 

 Terawiti, the strait is not quite 30 mile* across. The tide runs from 

 the south at the rate of five knots an hour during spring-tides. The 

 prevailing winds near the southern entrance, for the greater part of 

 the year, are from the south and south-east, and often increase to 

 heavy gales, augmenting the rush of water through the straits, and 

 making considerable inroads on the coast In the northern and wide 



portions of the strait the prevailing winds all the year round blow 

 from the north-west and south-west, and cause a heavy swell to set 

 against the shores of New Ulster, between the island of Kapiti and 

 Cape Egmont. This coast has no harbours, and as the sea to a great 

 distance from the shore is shallow, vessels are obliged to keep a good 

 offing. The island of Kapiti, called by Cook the Island of Entry, is 

 the most remarkable of the islands of the strait. It is about 25 miles 

 in circumference, and consists of a ridge of hills rising in some places 

 to the height of 600 feet. These hills descend abruptly to the west- 

 ward and eastward, but at the southern extremity they are low and 

 undulating. At the north-eastern point is an extensive alluvium, 

 with a lagoon iu the middle. To the east of the southern extremity 

 of Kapiti are three small islands, which, together with Kapiti, form a 

 roadstead, which is sheltered from the prevailing north-west winds by 

 Kapiti, and from the south-east winds by the three islets, and affords 

 a safe anchorage. 



Tavai-Poenammoo, now called New Munster, is separated from New 

 Ulster by Cook Strait It extends from 40 25' to 46 40' S. lat., and 

 lies between 166 20' and 174 30' E. long. It contains, according to a 

 rough estimate, about 50,000 square miles. The interior of this large 

 island is not so well known as New Ulster. Seen from the sea, a chain 

 of apparently uninterrupted mountains is observed at some distance 

 from the shore ou the western side ; ou the eastern side are other 

 ranges at a greater distance from the shore ; and at the northern end, 

 which terminates on Cook Strait, are three extensive masses of high 

 mountain rock, with valleys between them, which, considering the 

 wide masses of rocks that inclose them, must be called narrow. The 

 mountains, even at a small distance from the shores, rise to 3000 feet, 

 and farther inland they attain a much greater elevation. The highest 

 of these ranges seems to be the western, which fills up the whole 

 country west of Tasman Bay, and falls off with a steep declivity to 

 Massacre Bay. In the centre of it stands Mount Arthur, which is 

 always covered with snow, and probably rises 8000 feet above the sea- 

 level. It is divided from the central mass by a narrow depression, 

 extending, as it appears, far inland. This depression is not a plain, 

 but is traversed by several ridges of high and steep hills running in 

 the direction of the island from south-west to north-east. The lower 

 tracts between these hills are in some places extensive, and drained 

 by several rivers, of which the Waimea is the largest The central 

 mass of mountains ia called Pelorus Ridge, and occupies the whole 

 country between Tasman Bay and Cloudy Bay. It terminates on the 

 shores of the strait in three projecting peninsulas, which inclose two 

 very long inlets. Admiralty Bay and Queen Charlotte Sound, in which 

 several safe anchorages are found, well protected against all winds, as 

 the surrounding mountains rise to an elevation of from 2000 to 3000 

 feet As the mountains generally rise from the water's edge with a 

 steep ascent, only a few places of small extent occur near the shores, 

 on the slopes or in the ravines, which are fit for cultivation. On the 

 .east side of this mass is an indentation, which constitutes the harbour 

 of Underwood. This port is a deep inlet formed by hills, from which 

 numerous buttresses run out towards the aea, and form as many small 

 coves, in which vessels find good shelter. Port Underwood opens to 

 the south-west into Cook Strait, and is frequently resorted to by 

 whaling vessels. South of Port Underwood tbe mountains run inland, 

 and give way to a wido depression, which extends along the shores of 

 Cloudy Bay to tbe vicinity of Cape Campbell. This elevated cape is 

 the termination of the range of mountains which is called Kaikora, 

 or the Southern Alps, and is covered with snow nearly all the year 

 round. The country between Port Underwood and Cape Campbell 

 ia comparatively level, and drained by several small rivers, among 

 which the largest is the Wairao, which has a bar at its entrance. From 

 Cape Campbell, on the eastern coast, tbe mountains stretch inland in 

 a south-west direction ; Mount Kaikora being 9300 feet higb, aud 

 other peaks ranging from 4000 to 5000 feet in height. It joins a 

 mountain group near 43 S. lat, from which all the other ranges in 

 the island appear to diverge. From Mount Grey, in 43" 5' S. lat, a 

 crescent-shaped ridge runs at the back of tbe Canterbury settlement, 

 and ends on the left bank of the Kakaunui River; near the sea, in 

 45 10' S. lat, a great part of the range is above the snow-level, but 

 there are passes through it into the central plain. Rowley Point is 

 5000 feet high, and Mount Peel, Mount Somers, Mount Richards, and 

 Mount Torlesse, arc probably about the same height Of ithe western 

 coast Captain Cook says: "From Cape Farewell to 41 30' S. lat. 

 there U a narrow ridge of hills that rises directly from the sea itnd 

 is covered with wood : close behind these hills are the mountains, 

 extending hi a ridge of stupendous height, and consisting of rocks 

 that are totally barren and naked, except where they are covered with 

 snow, which is to be seen in large patches upon many parts of them, 

 and has probably lain there ever since the creation of tbe world. A 

 prospect more rude, craggy, aud desolate than thia country affords 

 from a distance at sea cannot possibly be conceived ; for, as far inland 

 as the eye can reach, nothing appears but the summits of rocks, which 

 stand so near together, that instead of valleys there are only fissures 

 between them." From 41 30' to 45' S. lat. the country presents a 

 better aspect Well-wooded hills and some extensive valleys occur. 

 All the indentations of this coast, which are numerous, are open to 

 the westerly winds and the swell of the sea, except Milford Haven 

 (44 30' S. lat). The south-western extremity of New Munster is 



