228 CONFLAGRATION OF FORESTS. [PART II. 



numbers, as, in consequence of the great quantity 

 of resin around this pine, the fire always spread 

 rapidly. The cupidity of new settlers too often 

 occasions the destruction of the forests, to the irre- 

 parable injury of subsequent colonists. A great 

 many of these first settlers, doubtful of being able 

 to maintain their claims to their immense pur- 

 chases, have no other object than to clear the 

 greatest possible amount of profit in the shortest 

 time, even at the sacrifice of a large and invaluable 

 forest. It is utterly impossible ever to make good 

 the damage thus done to the real interests of the 

 country at large, as the kauri-land is so exhausted 

 that scarcely anything will grow on it but fern 

 and manuka. Unless the strictest measures are 

 immediately taken to prevent this reckless destruc- 

 tion, it is very certain that the forests of this noble 

 tree will be greatly and irreparably reduced, as the 

 kauri is already a scarce tree, and is confined to 

 very narrow limits. These reflections occurred to 

 me more than once during my wanderings in New 

 Zealand, having many times seen kauri-forest 

 burning, not fired for the purpose of clearing the 

 land, but in order to get a dozen or two of logs : 

 sometimes the conflagration has been caused by 

 neglect : in several places, many square miles in 

 extent are covered with the burnt remains of the 

 forest. 



The trees here were cut up into logs sixteen feet 

 in length, and four of these logs were generally 



