CHAP. V.] NATIVE ARCHITECTURE. 71 



native houses have been replaced by huts, formed 

 in the European fashion, and made of the raupo, 

 a sort of bulrush ; little, however, has been gained 

 by this change, either in appearance or real conve- 

 nience. The native architecture might be very 

 much improved upon, without altering either the 

 material or the peculiar style. I saw a house in 

 Rotu-rua which the natives had built for Mr. 

 Chapman, the missionary ; it was high, had glass 

 windows, and several side apartments branching off 

 from the middle room ; it was built in the native 

 style with these improvements, and I thought this 

 was setting a good example, in improving, not sup- 

 planting, the industry of the natives. This house 

 was in strength and beauty equal to any in New 

 Zealand on the European plan ; and, indeed, the 

 natives are excellent architects in any style, and 

 execute designs, when once clearly explained to 

 them, without any future assistance, and with the 

 most simple implements. They have built several 

 churches some of them very large structures en- 

 tirely by themselves, without the aid of any Eu- 

 ropean. 



The New Zealander has a fixed habitation, al- 

 though he $oes not always reside in the same place. 

 In his plantations, which are often at great dis- 

 tances from each other, or from the principal village, 

 he possesses a house, which he inhabits when he 

 goes there in the planting season. Part of his 

 time he spends on visits to distant relations, or to 



