1835.] BAY OF ISLANDS. 401 



The general tint of the landscape is not a bright green ; and it 

 resembles the country a short distance to the south of Concepciou 

 in Chile. In several parts of the bay, little villages of square tidy- 

 looking houses are scattered close clown to the water's edge. Three 

 whaling-ships were lying at anchor, and a canoe every now and 

 then crossed from shore to shore ; with these exceptions, an air of 

 extreme quietness reigned over the whole district. Only a single 

 canoe came alongside. This, and the aspect of the whole scene, 

 afforded a remarkable, and not very pleasing contrast, with our 

 joyful and boisterous welcome at Tahiti. 



In the afternoon we went on shore to one of the larger groups 

 of houses, which yet hardly deserves the title of a village. Its 

 name is Pahia : it is the residence of the missionaries ; and there 

 are no native residents except servants and labourers. In the 

 vicinity of the Bay of Islands, the number of Englishmen, includ- 

 ing their families, amounts to between two and three hundred. 

 All the cottages, many of which are white-washed and look very 

 neat, are the property of the English. The hovels of the natives 

 are so diminutive and paltry, that they can scarcely be perceived 

 from a distance. At Pahia, it was quite pleasing to behold the 

 English flowers in the gardens before the houses ; there were roses 

 of several kinds, honeysuckle, jasmine, stocks, and whole hedges of 

 sweetbriar. 



December ffind. In the morning I went out walking; but I soon 

 found that the country was very impracticable. All the hills are 

 thickly covered with tall fern, together with a low bush which 

 grows like a cypress; and very little ground has been cleared or 

 cultivated. I then tried the sea-beach; but proceeding towards 

 either hand, my walk was soon stopped by salt-water creeks and 

 deep brooks. The communication between the inhabitants of the 

 different parts of the bay, is (as in Chiloe) almost entirely kept up 

 by boats. I was surprised to find that almost every hill which I 

 ascended, had been at some former time more or less fortified. 

 The summits were cut into steps or successive terraces, and fre- 

 quently they had been protected by deep trenches. I afterwards 

 observed that the principal hills inland in like manner showed an 

 artificial outline. These are the Pas, so frequently mentioned by 

 Captain Cook under the name of " hippah ; " the difference of sound 

 being owing to the prefixed article. 



That the Pas had formerly been much used, was evident from 



2 D 



