CHAP. XXII.] AOTEA. 307 



Aotea; this we followed on the llth. It leads 

 along the wooded crest of the hills. The forest 

 contains many tanekaha or parsley-leaved pines 

 (Phyllocladus trichomanoides). The stem of this 

 tree is very straight, and much like that of the kauri, 

 and its wood is still more durable ; but I have never 

 seen it growing to the same size, from a foot and a 

 half to two feet being its usual diameter. The 

 middle island, especially Dusky Bay, has more 

 tanekaha, forests than the northern, but this tree 

 has never been much sought after. 



On the 12th we reached Aotea. It is a long and 

 shallow estuary, with a bar at its mouth, but has 

 several times been entered by a schooner of sixteen 

 tons burden. In Aotea the limestone again appears 

 on the sides of the hills which bound the harbour. 

 On the northern shore is a Wesleyan mission-station, 

 and the native population amounts to 1200. They 

 assembled at the summons of the missionary, who 

 exhorted them concerning some cases of murder 

 which had lately occurred, resulting from a belief 

 in witchcraft. In one case a dying chief had ac- 

 cused a poor old man of having caused his illness by 

 makuta, or sorcery. A young relative took upon 

 himself to revenge the supposed crime, and killed 

 the man. The majority of the natives felt not only 

 the culpability, but also the absurdity, of such a 

 procedure, and were of opinion that it should in 

 future be discontinued. 



We crossed to the southern shore in the boat 



x 2 



