NEW ZEALAND. 417 



thousand ; there are others who rate the population from thirty to 

 forty thousand. A mean between the two estimates would be nearer 

 the truth. From the information I received, I am satisfied that it 

 cannot be great. The population of both islands is said to amount 

 to from one hundred and forty to one hundred and eighty thousand, 

 and the whole of this number are on the north island, with the 

 exception of three or four thousand who live on the southern island. 

 It is remarkable that every tribe has a name peculiar to itself, and 

 distinct from the district which it inhabits : thus the natives of 

 Kororarika are called Yaitawake; those of Hauaki (the river Thames), 

 Ngaitawake ; and with few exceptions these names begin with the 

 syllable of Nga or Ngati — most commonly the latter. These names 

 are thought to have reference to clanship. The members of each 

 tribe appear to be all connected by the ties of consanguinity. 



Some of our naturalists made a visit to a town called Wangarara, 

 situated near the coast, about thirty miles to the southward of Cape 

 Brett. They passed up the Wycaddie river eleven miles to Wycaddie 

 Pa. Here they found a missionary station, occupied by a Mr. Baker ; 

 but none of the family were at home. The old chief of Wycaddie 

 was very indignant, and treated them quite uncivilly, because they 

 were going to Wangarara. After procuring a guide, they set out 

 on foot for that place. The distance is twelve miles, which they 

 accomplished by sunset. The road lay over mountains. The 

 village of Wangarara consists of four or five miserable huts, or what 

 would more properly be designated kennels, made in the rudest 

 manner, and thatched with fern-leaves. In order to enter these, they 

 were obliged to crawl on their hands and knees. The furniture of 

 the chief's house consisted of a few mats, two or three fishing-nets, 

 and an old chest. A fire was smoking in the centre to keep out the 

 musquitoes, and the resemblance to a smoke-house was striking ; or, 

 perhaps, the latter would have suffered by the comparison. The 

 accommodations in this hut were rather confined and crowded ; for 

 besides themselves, there were three runaway sailors as guests. 

 They, therefore, gladly accepted the invitation of the chief Ko- 

 towatowa, who was on a visit here, to accompany him to his hut, at 

 the mouth of the bay. They went with him in his fine large canoe, 

 and reached his residence late in the evening, where they found 

 themselves much more comfortably accommodated, having clean mats 

 and a good supper of pigeons and potatoes. This was Ko-towatowa's 

 principal farm. His pa is situated a few miles up the bay, on a 



vol. n. 105 



