NEW ZEALAND. 437 



isolated trees, and the quantity of Kaurie-gum found embedded in the 

 soil, that forests had formerly been more generally spread over the 

 face of the country, than they are at present. 



The gum which has just been spoken of, is still produced by the 

 Kaurie pine, which is the finest of the timber-trees of New Zealand. 

 The greatest portion of that which is shipped from the island, is dug 

 from the ground. Small quantities of the latter description have 

 been purchased by our countrymen, and shipped to the United 

 States, where it was manufactured into a varnish. This was of a 

 good quality, and was afterwards sent to New South Wales, and New 

 Zealand, where it is sold for copal varnish. 



The Kaurie and Kaikotia pines yield spars which for large ships 

 are not surpassed by any in the world. The trees are generally 

 large, and are easily brought to the coast by means of the numerous 

 streams. 



The natives use these trees in building- their canoes, which are dug- 

 out of a single log. They have no out-rigger, and are in consequence 

 liable to accident from want of stability. Great ingenuity is shown 

 in repairing them. We saw a war-canoe which was sufficiently 

 large to be manned by fifty men ; it had a prow extended ten feet 

 upwards, which was elaborately carved and decked with tufts of 

 feathers. The paddles have spoon-shaped blades, by which the 

 canoes are propelled with great swiftness. 



No native quadrupeds were found wild in New Zealand. Cattle 

 have been introduced, and thrive. Those which are imported require 

 to be fed, but those raised in the country can provide for themselves, 

 and grow fat by browsing. 



Among the birds, are the native nightingale and the tui, also 

 known under the sobriquet of the parson-bird. The latter is a 

 great favourite with the natives. 



I saw it only in a cage, and its note did not strike me as pleasing, 

 but several of our gentlemen saw and heard it in the woods. They 

 describe its note as rather louder than that of the bird called by the 

 Samoans "poe," and it is at times said to utter a cry resembling the 

 sound of a trumpet. 



The domestic fowl does not appear to have been known before this 

 island was visited by white men. 



I made inquiries in relation to the mode in which birds were taken 

 in this country before the introduction of fire-arms, but could not 

 obtain any satisfactory information. I was inclined to think that the 

 natives had no method of doing this in former times. 



VOL. II. 110 



