160 



ZEALAND, NEW. 



and royal residence, Copenhagen. See Denmark, 

 .i.i'i ( Copenhagen. 



ZEALAND, NKW; two islands in the South 

 Pacific ocean, discovered by the Dutch navigator 

 Tasman, in 1642. He sailed along the eastern 

 coast, and supposed it to be a part of the southern 

 continent, then imagined to occupy these unknown 

 regions. From the Dutch the newly-discovered 

 country received the name of New Zealand. In 

 1769, Cook first discovered the strait which hears 

 his name, and separates the two islands from each 

 other, the northernmost of which is called Eahein- 

 omauwe, and the southernmost Tavai-Poenamoo. 

 They extend in their whole length about 800 miles, 

 with an average breadth of about 100 miles, their 

 position lengthwise being between the 48 and 34 

 of south latitude, and resembling, with respect to 

 temperature, (after an allowance for the lower de- 

 gree of heat in the southern hemisphere) that of 

 the land between the south of Portugal and the 

 north of France ; pervading, we may say, but with- 

 out exceeding, the most favoured part of the tem- 

 perate region : and numerous witnesses of ample 

 experience concur in describing the extremes of 

 cold in winter and heat in summer as being within 

 peculiarly narrow limits ; which is to describe the 

 climate as one of the most equable in the world. 

 The two islands are intersected in the greater part 

 of their length by a chain of mountains perpetual- 

 ly covered with snow, and higher, it is supposed, 

 than the European Alps ; from which it would be 

 inferred, as is really the case, that the country 

 abounds in streams and rivers always flowing : 

 droughts, such as occur in New South Wales, have 

 never been known, but, on the contrary, rain falls 

 plentifully in every due season, though never to an 

 inconvenient degree. 



Cook's strait between the two islands, forms part 

 of the direct track of vessels homeward bound from 

 the Australian colonies ; many such vessels go 

 through Cook's Strait, while the others at present 

 pass New Zealand at either its southern or north- 

 ern extremity. Lying about 300 leagues east of 

 the eastern shore of New Holland and Van Die- 

 men's Land, these islands have recently become the 

 theatre of an active commerce between the New 

 Zealanders and the British colonists in that region. 

 During the year 1830, the total tonnage of vessels 

 cleared out from New South Wales for New Zea- 

 land was 5888 tons; and of seventy-eight vessels 

 cleared out from Sydney, fifty-six were for New 

 Zealand. These voyages were undertaken chiefly 

 for the purpose of procuring New Zealand flax ; but 

 it has also been customary for the vessels to land 

 parties on different parts of the coast, to prosecute 

 the whale and seal fisheries in the bays, which are 

 frequented, at certain seasons of the year, by the 

 black whale and the seal. Establishments have 

 also been formed for the purpose of procuring spars 

 for shipping, and timber for house-building; and 

 several large vessels have been built here by Bri- 

 tish mechanics, assisted by the natives. (Busby's 

 Authentic Information relative to New South Wales 

 and New Zealand, London, 1832.) The church 

 missionary society and the Wesleyan missionary 

 society have both had settlements on the northern 

 island for a number of years. The stations of the 

 former are at the Bay of Islands and Kidee Kidee, 

 sixteen miles from that place. About a dozen mis- 

 sionaries, with their families, reside here, and have 

 established schools for the instruction of the natives. 

 These circumstances, and the difficulties occasioned ' 



by the conduct of runaway convicts from New 

 South Wnles, h;ive led the British government to 

 establish an agent or resident in New Zealund. 

 New Zealand has often been pointed out as a fit 

 place for an experiment in colonization ; but the 

 single circumstance of the occasional practice of 

 cannibalism among the natives, seems to have been 

 sufficient heretofore to prevent any such scheme 

 from being carried into execution ; although the 

 fact is, that the New Zealanders are a much superior 

 race to many which are not addicted to that horri- 

 ble custom, and, what is above all things important, 

 eminently improveable. A plan has at length been 

 formed for realizing this desirable object by a body 

 named the New Zealand Association, consisting of 

 two classes of members; first, heads of families, 

 and otherjB, who have resolved to establish them- 

 selves in the proposed colony ; and, secondly, a 

 small body of public men, who, as a committee, 

 have undertaken the task of carrying the nu . 

 into execution. These public men are of all par- 

 ties; the list contains, amongst others, the names 

 of Mr F. Baring, the earl of Durham, Walter F. 

 Campbell of Islay, Esq., Sir George Sinclair, and 

 Sir William Molesworth, all of them members of 

 the legislature. They have published a small vo- 

 lume, detailing their plans, and describing the coun- 

 try. (London, 1837.) 



Among the latest accounts of New Zealand, are 

 Cruise's Journal of ten Months Residence in New 

 Zealand (London, 1823) ; Earle's Nine Months' Re- 

 sidence in New Zealand, in 1827, (London, 1832) ; 

 and the work of Busby, above mentioned. The 

 fifth volume of the Library of Entertaining Know- 

 ledge, entitled the New Zealanders, contains a full 

 and interesting view of the islands and their inha- 

 bitants. From the latter work, we take the liber- 

 ty of extracting the following interesting passages 

 regarding New Zealand and its inhabitants. 



In general, the New Zealanders are a tall race of 

 men, many of the individuals belonging to the up- 

 per classes being six feet high and upwards. They 

 are also described as strong, active, and almost uni- 

 formly well-shaped. Their hair is commonly straight, 

 but sometimes curly : Crozet says he saw a few of 

 them with red hair. Cook describes the females 

 as far from attractive ; but other observers give a 

 more flattering account of them. Mr Savage, for 

 example, assures us that their features are regular 

 and pleasing ; and he seems to have been much 

 struck by their " long black hair and dark pene- 

 trating eyes," as well as " their well-formed figure, 

 the interesting cast of their countenance, and the 

 sweet tone of their voice." Captain Cruise's tes- 

 timony is almost equally favourable. The dress of 

 the two sexes is exactly the same, and consists of 

 an inner mat or tunic, fastened by a girdle round 

 their waists, and an upper cloak, which is made of 

 very coarse materials for ordinary wear, but is of a 

 much finer fabric, and often, indeed, elaborately or- 

 namented, when intended for occasions of display. 

 Both these articles of attire are always made of 

 the native flax, of which we shall immediately give 

 an account. The New Zealanders wear no cover- 

 ing either for the head or the feet, the feathers with 

 which both sexes ornament the head being except- 

 ed. The faces of the males are tattoed. 



The food upon which they chiefly live is the root 

 of the fern-plant, which grows all over the country. 

 This root, sometimes swallowed entirely, and some- 

 times only masticated, and the fibres rejected after 

 the juice has been extracted, serves the New Zea- 



