The Genus Araucaria. 417 



THE GENUS ARAUCARIA. 



BY JOHN E. JACKSON, 



Curator, Museum, Royal Gardens, Kew. 



(With a Tinted Plate.) 



In the year 1774, the good ship " Resolution," commanded by 

 the great circumnavigator Captain Cook, was calmly sailing along 

 through those glorious southern seas, when the cry of " Land 

 a-head " echoed through the vessel. All eyes were directed 

 towards the point indicated. The faint outline of an unknown 

 shore was visible. Gradually they neared the coast. The 

 pleasure of those upon the deck was equalled by their surprise 

 as by degrees the scene became more visible. They saw what 

 appeared to them to be tall pillars, or spires, or the masts 

 of a thousand ships, towering high over all else around 

 them. On they sped without being able to determine what 

 this unusual and unexpected sight could mean, till upon near- 

 ing Cape Coronation a few days after, the same objects pre- 

 sented themselves to view. What could they be ? Could they 

 be nearing a land where civilization held sway ? or could these 

 be magnificent columns of basaltic formation ? This latter was 

 the general opinion of the naturalists on board. Speculation 

 was rife, expectation was on tip-toe. The enlightened Com- 

 mander maintained from the first that they were trees. The 

 telescope was kept pointed towards them, and at last it became 

 evident that these strange pillars were, in fact, trees, but trees 

 of a new and wonderful species. A landing was proposed, all 

 hands being determined not to leave the place till they were 

 satisfied as to what kind of trees they were. Captain Cook with 

 the botanists on board now first set foot upon the island. The 

 hearts of the enthusiastic company bounded within them at the 

 sight, as they for the first time made the acquaintance of a 

 goodly number of Araucaria columnaris. Nor was this dis- 

 covery interesting alone to the botanists, here were trees the 

 trunks of which on this little isle were from sixty to seventy 

 feet high admirably adapted for ships' spars. Captain Cook 

 says : — " If I except New Zealand, I at this time knew of no 

 island in the South Pacific Ocean where a ship could supply 

 herself with a mast or a yard, were she ever so much distressed 

 for want of one. My carpenter, who was a mast-maker as well 

 as shipwright, was of opinion that these trees would make 

 exceedingly good masts. The wood is white, close grained, 

 tough and light. Turpentine had exuded from most of the 

 trunks, and the sun had inspissated it into a resin which was 



