Dec. 1835. bay of islands. 497 



with coarse pasture, but this in truth is nothing but fern. 

 On the more distant hills, as well as in patches in some of 

 the valleys, there is a good deal of wood-land. The general 

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

 the country a short distance to the southward of Con- 

 cepcion in Chile. In several parts of the bay, little villages 

 of square tidy-looking houses were scattered close down 

 to the water's edge. Three whaling ships were lying at 

 anchor ; but with the exception of these, and of a few canoes, 

 now and then crossing from one shore to the other, an air of 

 extreme quietness reigned over the whole district. Only a 

 single canoe came alongside. This, and the aspect of the 

 whole scene, aiforded a remarkable, and not very pleasing 

 contrast, with our joj^'ul 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 vil- 

 lage. Its name is Pahia : it is the residence of the mis- 

 sionaries; and with the exception of their servants and 

 labourers, there are no native residents. In the vicinity of 

 the Bay of Islands, the number of Englishmen, including 

 their famihes, amounts to between two and three hundred. 

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

 as I have said 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 any distance. At Pahia, 

 it was quite pleasing to behold the English flowers in the 

 platforms before the houses ; there were roses of several 

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

 sweetbriar. 



December 22d. — In the morning I went out walking; 

 but I soon found, that the country was very impracticable. 

 All the hills are thickly covered by tall fern, together with a 

 low bush which grows like a cypress ; and very little ground 

 has been cleared or cultivated in this neighbourhood. I then 

 tried the sea-beach ; but proceeding towards either hand, 

 my walk was soon stopped short, by creeks and deep streams 

 of fresh water. The communication between the inhabitants 



VOL. III. 2 K 



