1770 NEW ZEALAND FLAX 229 



But of all the plants we have seen among these people, 

 that which is the most excellent in its kind, and which really 

 excels most if not all that are put to the same uses in other 

 countries, is the plant which serves them instead of hemp or 

 flax. 1 Of this there are two sorts. The leaves of both much 

 resemble those of flags ; the flowers are smaller and grow 

 many more together. In one sort they are yellowish, in the 

 other of a deep red. Of the leaves of these plants all their 

 common wearing apparel is made with very little preparation, 

 and all strings, lines, and cordage for every purpose, and that 

 of a strength so much superior to hemp as scarce to bear 

 comparison with it. From these leaves also by another 

 preparation a kind of snow-white fibre is drawn, shining 

 almost as silk, and likewise surprisingly strong ; of this all 

 their finer cloths are made : their fishing-nets are also made 

 of these leaves, without any other preparation than splitting 

 them into proper breadths and tying the strips together. So 

 useful a plant would doubtless be a great acquisition to England, 

 especially as one might hope it would thrive there with little 

 trouble, as it seems hardy and affects no particular soil, being 

 found equally on hills and in valleys, in dry soil and the 

 deepest bogs, which last land it seems, however, rather to 

 prefer, as I have always seen it in such places of a larger 

 size than anywhere else. 



When first we came ashore we imagined the country to 

 be much better peopled than we afterwards found it ; conclud- 

 ing from the smokes that we saw that there were inhabitants 

 very far inland, which indeed in Poverty Bay and the Bay of 

 Plenty (much the best peopled part of the country that we 

 have seen) may be the case. In all the other parts we have 

 been in we have, however, found the sea coast only inhabited, 

 and that but sparingly, insomuch that the number of inhabit- 

 ants seems to bear no kind of proportion to the size of the 

 country. This is probably owing to their frequent wars. 

 Besides this the whole coast from Cape Maria Van Diemen 

 to Mount Egmont, and seven-eighths of the Southern Island, 

 seem totally without people. 



1 Phormium tenax, Forst, the New Zealand Flax. 



