418 NEW ZEALAND. [CHAP. XTIII. 



In the afternoon we went on shore to one of the larger groups 

 of houses, which yet hardly deserves the title of a village. Its 

 name is Pahia: it is the residence of the missionaries; and there 

 are no native residents except servants and labourers. In the 

 vicinity of the Bay of Islands, the number of Englishmen, in- 

 cluding their families, amounts to between two and three hun- 

 dred. All the cottages, many of which are white-washed and 

 look very neat, are the property of the English. The hovels 

 of the natives are so diminutive and paltry, that they can scarcely 

 be perceived from a distance. At Pahia, it was quite pleasing 

 to behold the English flowers in the gardens before the houses ; 

 there were roses of several kinds, honeysuckle, jasmine, stocks, 

 and whole hedges of sweetbriar. 



December 22nd. In the morning I went out walking ; but I 

 soon found that the country was very impracticable. All the 

 hills are thickly covered with tall fern, together with a low bush 

 which grows like a cypress ; and very little ground has been 

 cleared or cultivated. I then tried the sea-beach ; but proceed- 

 ing towards either hand, my walk was soon stopped by salt- 

 water creeks and deep brooks. The communication between the 

 inhabitants of the different parts of the bay, is (as in Chiloe) 

 almost entirely kept up by boats. I was surprised to find that 

 almost every hill which I ascended, had been at some former time 

 more or less fortified. The summits were cut into steps or suc- 

 cessive terraces, and frequently they had been protected by deep 

 trenches. I afterwards observed that the principal hills inland 

 in like manner showed an artificial outline. These are the Pas. 

 so frequently mentioned by Captain Cook under the name of 

 " hippah ;" the difference of sound being owing to the prefixed 

 article. 



That the Pas had formerly been much used, was evident from 

 the piles of shells, and the pits in which, as I was informed, sweet 

 potatoes used to be kept as a reserve. As there was no water on 

 these hills, the defenders could never have anticipated a long 

 siege, but only a hurried attack for plunder, against which the 

 successive terraces would have afforded good protection. The 

 general introduction of fire-arms has changed the whole system 

 of warfare ; and an exposed situation on the top of a hill is now 

 worse than useless. The Pas in consequence are, at the present 



