NEW ZEALAND 



cones and oilier manifestations of the under-world. Clouds 

 of steam and sulphurous fumes rise from the boiling pools, 

 and there are rumblings in the earth wh.ich show that the 

 central fires come close to the surface there. 



The coast-line is irregular, many of the bays affording 

 excellent harbors, and along the south-west coast of the 

 middle island is a series of sounds indenting a mountainous 

 coast, and surpassing in beauty and grandeur the famous 

 fiords of Norway. Rivers and waterfalls abound, and 

 many glaciers glisten among the peaks of the snowy range. 

 Noble forests fringe the coast of the nothern island, and 

 broad, rolling plains are a striking feature of the middle 

 island ; rivers and lakes abound, and the whole scene 

 which meets the eye of the traveller is full of brightness 

 and beauty. Geologically New Zealand is one of the oldest 

 portions of land now forming any portion of the earth's 

 surface. It has been repeatedly submerged and upheaved, 

 and contains excellent deposits of coal, iron, gold, silver, 

 copper, chrome, graphite, lead, mercury, mineral oils, 

 sulphur, and zinc, besides lime.stone, granite, marble and 

 other building stones. 



A little over 500 years ago the Maoris, a savage people 

 from the Islands of Polynesia, arrived at these i.slands in 

 their double canoes. A double cance consists of two canoes 

 joined by a structure or platform across the top of each. 

 By means of such canoes these daring and enterprising 

 people became the greatest navigators known until the 

 century of Columbus. They were a brown people, fair- 

 sized, heavily built, strong and athletic. They found the 

 country inhabited by aborignees, of which we know very 

 little. It is generally understood that the Maoris ate them 

 up. 



In 1642, Tasman, a Dutch Sea Captain, sighted the 

 islands, anchoring in what is now called Golden Bay, near 

 the north-west point of the middle island. He tried to 

 land, but gave up the attempt on account of the hostile 



