30 ISLAND OF MOTUARA. [PART I. 



same rock, a metamorphic slate, formed its entire 

 composition. The quantity of underwood greatly 

 circumscribed the view, and I had only a glimpse 

 of Motuara, Long Island, and the mountains near 

 Cape Te-ra-witi. The dense forest of the hills also 

 prevented any very extensive survey of the neigh- 

 bourhood of Ship Cove, and I therefore limited my 

 excursions to places within a short distance from 

 the ship. One of these journeys was to the Island 

 of Motuara. There is some excellent land there, 

 where the natives have plantations. Although we 

 were still in the depth of winter, many shrubs were 

 pushing forward their blossoms ; one, a creeper (Cle- 

 matis albida, or nearly allied to that species, which 

 is a native of Van Diemen's Land), was loaded with 

 a profusion of white flowers, which hung in festoons 

 over the neighbouring trees. I have no doubt that 

 this shrub would thrive in our climate, and be- 

 come one of the greatest ornaments of our parks. 

 We found several natives on the island, who ram- 

 bled with us through the bush. Pigeons, the large 

 parrot, and a small green ground-perrokeet (tricho- 

 glossus aurifrons, Wagl.), were there in great num- 

 bers. The natives were merely temporary sojourners, 

 and had come from Cannibals' Cove to catch pigs, 

 which overrun the island. 



Another of my excursions was to Anaho, or Can- 

 nibals' Cove, where a small tribe of natives is located. 

 The chief, Nga-rewa, with his wife and son, had 

 been our daily guests on board the vessel. On 

 landing all the natives left their huts to receive us, 



