406 NATIVES NEAR TAURANGA. [PART II. 



the causes which seem to have brought about the 

 near extermination of that animal on the mainland 

 have not been in action on a rocky island which is 

 scarcely ever visited by the natives. 



In the harbour of Tauranga the land loses con- 

 tinually by the encroachments of the sea. During 

 a very heavy gale of wind last year the coast at Te 

 Papa (the mission-station) lost ten feet. All along 

 the east coast stems of trees are seen under water ; 

 this I state on the authority of Mr. Wilson, an 

 intelligent missionary. Some of the rivers are 

 nearly choked up by the quantity of wood carried 

 down ; this indeed is a circumstance of very frequent 

 occurrence in New Zealand. 



At a greater distance from Tauranga is the island 

 of Tuhua, or Mayor's Island. It consists, according 

 to the accounts I collected, of very rugged basaltic 

 rocks and obsidian in situ, with narrow but fertile 

 valleys. It is inhabited by a tribe of about two 

 hundred natives, who cultivate the land, and occa- 

 sionally provide passing whalers with provisions. 

 They have been subject to many attacks from the 

 tribes of the mainland, first from the Nga-pui in 

 the Bay of Islands, and afterwards from the natives 

 at Wakatane on the east coast. The latter at- 

 tempted, about three years ago, to surprise them 

 during the night, but were observed by the natives 

 of Tuhua, who live in an almost unapproachable 

 pa. They allowed them to come near, and then 

 rolled large blocks of stone from the summit of the 



