ZEALAND. 



fon, and the foo never lofes fight of an injury done to his 

 tather. The method of executing their liornble deiigr.s is 

 by Iteahug upon their enemies in the night ; and it they lind 

 them unguarded, (which however is but felJom the cafe,) 

 tliey kill every one iudifcriminately, not even fpanng the 

 women and children : the dead bodies they either devour on 

 the foot, or carry them home for that pnrpofe If they 

 are difcovered beiore they can execute their bloody purpofe, 

 they generally Ileal ofF; and fometimes are purfued and at- 

 tacked by the other party in their turn. They never give 

 quarter, or take prifoners. This perpetual ttate of warfare 

 renders them fo circumfpeft, that they are never off their 

 guard either by night or day. According to their fydem 

 of belief, the foul of the man whofe flefh is devoured by 

 the enemy is doomed to perpetual fire ; while the foul of 

 him whofe body has been refcued, as well as thofe who die 

 a natural death, afcciid to the habitation of the gods. They 

 do not eat the bodies of their friends who have been refcued. 

 Their common method of difpofing of the dead is by 

 burying in the earth ; but if they have more of their flangh- 

 tered enemies than they can eat, they throw them into the 

 fea. They have no fuch things as morais, or other places 

 of public worfhip ; nor do they ever affemble together with 

 this view. But tlity have prietts who alone addrefs the 

 gods in prayers for the profperity of their temporal affairs. 

 Whatever the principles of their rehgion may be, they 

 are ftrongly inculcated from their infancy : of this I had a 

 remarkable inftance in the youth who was firft deftined to 

 accompany Taweiharooa. He refrained from eating the 

 greateit part of the day on account of his hair being cut ; 

 though every method was tried to induce him to break his 

 refolution ; and he was tempted with the offer of fuch vic- 

 tuals as he was known to like beft. He faid, that if he 

 ate any thing that day, the Eatooa would kill him : how- 

 ever, towards evening the cravings of nature got the 

 better of the precepts of religion, and he ate, though but 

 fparingly. Notwithltanding the divided and hoftile flate in 

 which the New Zealanders live, travelling ilrangers who 

 come with no ill defign are well received, and entertained 

 during their ftay ; which, however, it is expefted will be no 

 longer than is requifite to tranfaft the bufinefs that they 

 come upon. Polygamy is allowed amongft; the people : 

 the women are marriageable at a very early age ; and one 

 who is unmarried is but in a forlorn ftate : Ihe can with dif- 

 ficulty get a fubfiftence, and is in a great nieafure without a 

 proteftor, though in continual want of a powerful one. 

 The New Zealanders feem to be perfeftly fatisfied with the 

 little knowledge they are maders of without attempting in 

 the leaft to improve it ; nor are they remarkably curious 

 either in their obfervations or inquiries. Tovy Poenammoo 

 is for the moil part a mountainous, and to all appearances a 

 barren country, and thinly peopled. Ealieinomauwe has 

 a much better appearance ; it is indeed not only hilly, but 

 mountainous, yet even the hills and mountains are covered 

 with wood, and every valley has a rivulet of water ; the foil 

 in thefe valleys and in the plains, of which there are many 

 that are not overgrown with wood, is in general light, but 

 fertile, and fit for every kind of European grain, plants, and 

 fruit. From the vegetables that were found here, there is rea- 

 fon to conclude the winters are m.ilder than in England, and 

 the fummer not hotter, though it was more equally warm : 

 dogs and rats are the only quadrupeds that were feen, and 

 of the latter only a few. The inhabitants breed the dogs 

 for the fole purpofe of eating them. There are feals and 

 whales on the coait, and a fea-lion was once feen. The 

 birds arc, hawks, owls, quails ; and there are fong-birds, 

 whofc note is wonderfully melodious. There are ducks and 



(liags of feveral forts, not unlike thofe of Europe ; and the 

 gannct, which is exaftly the fame. The fea-coaft is vifited 

 by albatrofles, flieer-waters, pintados, and penguins. The 

 infefts are, flefh-fiies, beetles, butter-flies, fand-flies, and 

 mufquitoes ; and the neighbouring fea abounds with firti, 

 which are equally delicious and wholcfome food. Captain 

 Cook feldom came to anchor but they caught enough, with 

 hook and line only, to fupply the whole fhip's crew ; and 

 when they fifhed with nets, every mefs in the (hip, except 

 thofe who were too indolent, faked as much as fupplied them 

 when at fea fome time after. The fifh was not lefs various 

 in kind than plentiful in quantity ; there were many forts 

 they had never before feen, but the failors readily gave 

 names to all of them. The higheft luxury which the fea 

 afforded was the lobfter, or fefa cray-fifh. Here were alfo 

 feveral fpecies of the flcate, or ftingray : foles, flounders, 

 and fhell-fifh, were abundant. This country abounds 

 with forefts filled with very large, flraight, and clean 

 timber. There is one tree about the fize of an oak, which 

 was diilinguilhed by a fcarlet flower, that appeared to be 

 compofed of feveral fibres ; the wood of which was hard 

 and heavy, excellently adapted to the ufe of the mill- wright : 

 and another which grows in fwampy ground, very (Iraight 

 and tall, bearing fmall bunches of berries, and a leaf re- 

 fembling that of a yew-tree ; the wood of which is very 

 tough, and thick enough to make mafts of any fize : about 

 400 fpecies of plants were found, all of which are un- 

 known in England, except garden night-fhade, fow-thiftle, 

 two or three kinds of fern, and one or two forts of grafs. 

 They found wild celery, and a kind of crefTes, in great 

 abundance on the fea fhore, and of eatable plants raifed 

 by cultivation, only cocoas, yams, and fvveet potatoes. 

 There are plantations of many acres of thefe yams and 

 potatoes. The inhabitants hkewife cultivate the ground ; 

 and the Chinefe paper mulberry-tree is to be found, but in 

 no abundance. There is only one fhrub or tree in this coun- 

 try which produces fruit, and that is a kind of a berry almoft 

 taftelefs ; but they have a plant which anfwers all the ufes 

 of hemp and flax. There are two kinds of this plant, the 

 leaves of one of which are yellow, and the other deep-red, 

 and both of them refemble the leaves of flags ; of thefe 

 leaves they make lines and cordage, and much ftronger than 

 any thing of the kind in Europe. Thefe leaves they like- 

 wife fplit into breadths, and tying the flips together form 

 their fi(hing-nets. Their common apparel by a fimple pro- 

 cefs is made from leaves, and their finer by another prepa- 

 ration is made from the fibres. This plant is found both on 

 high and low ground, in dry mould, and deep bogs ; but 

 as it grows largeil in the latter, that feems to be its proper 

 foil. 



The men of this country are as large as the largeft Euro- 

 peans. Their complexion is brown, but little more fo than 

 that of a Spaniard. They are full of flefh, but not lazy or 

 luxurious, and are ftout and well (haped. The women pof- 

 fefs not that delicacy which diltinguifhes the European 

 ladies, but their voice is fingularly foft, which, as the drefs 

 of both fexes is fimilar, chiefly diftinguiflieB them from the 

 men. The men are aftive in a high degree ; their hair is 

 black, and teeth are white and even. The features in 

 both fexes are regular ; they enjoy perfeft health, and live 

 to a very advanced age ; they are of the gentleft difpofi- 

 tions, and treat each other with the utmoft kindnefs, but 

 they are perpetually at war, every little diftrift being at en- 

 mity with all the refl, and towards their enemies they are 

 implacable, never giving quarter. They have neither black 

 cattle, flieep, hogs, nor goats ; fo that their chief food 

 being fifli, and tliat not at all times to be obtained, they are 



in 



