Gold-Smith. — 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 



