Gorp-Surrg,— Description of Mayor Island. 419 
defending themselves from invasion by other tribes, who endeavoured to 
wrest it from them. In these attacks Te Arawa, Ngatimaru, and Ngapuhi, 
took a principal part. The latter tribe in 1832 landed on the island under 
Te Haramiti,and by surprise killed and ate many of the inhabitants; but 
the majority took refuge in their impregnable pa at the east end of the 
island, and thus escaped the fate of their friends. All the old pas have a 
history, which the natives delight in recounting. The people were generally 
able to hold their own against outsiders, though losing many of their 
number.- The handful of them still left all reside in Opo Bay, at a village 
called Te Panui. 
The live stock of the island consists of one horse, a few pigs, fowls, and 
peafowls. There are not many birds, but most of those still living on the 
main land are represented here. I noticed the following :—Pigeon, tui, 
korimako, kaka, ruru, piwakawaka, toutouwai, kingfisher, duck and teal in 
the lakes, and pukeko in the swamp, and various sea birds. Acclimatized 
birds are represented by the sparrow and blackbird, the latter being a late 
acquisition from the main land. The common locust and grasshopper were 
seen, and the poisonous katipo spider is also to be found, but strange to say 
that troublesome pest the sandfly is absent. The little brown lizard has 
found a home here, but the great tuatara only inhabits a small island or 
rock called Motuoneone, situated about a hundred feet from the shore. 
There is nothing particular to note in the vegetation, as it is similar to 
that on the main land, though possibly a botanist might find treasures that 
would remain unnoticed by an ordinary observer. Common fern, tutu, tea 
tree (very thick), koromiko, and a little grass, form the ordinary vegetation, 
whilst the few clumps of trees consist of pohutukawa, mapou, manuka, 
rewarewa, akeake, whau or corkwood, pukapuka, and a few puriri, which, 
however, is of little value, being very scattered, and ruined by fire. Loco- 
motion is very difficult, as all the old native tracks are grown over, and 
never used by the people, as they prefer to travel by water on the rare occa- 
sions when they leave their settlement. 
There are no rare shells; I had expected to find the Bulimus or land- 
shell, but could discover none. In certain winds the delicate paper nautilus - 
sails into Opo Bay and is there caught by the natives; I was able to obtain 
one fair specimen. The fishing off the island is very good, there being 
abundance of hapuku, kokiri, kohikohi, maumau, schnapper, kahawai, 
tarakihi, in addition to plenty of shell-fish such as koura or cray-fish, 
crabs, paua, etc. The mako shark, so well known for its beautiful teeth, 
which are highly prized by the Maoris as ornaments, is found off this 
island and nowhere else in the world I believe, but the natives told me it 
was getting very scarce. Beyond this there is nothing to note as peculiar 
