126 NEW ZEALAND. 



35 years of age. His dress consisted of a blue naval cap, 

 with a gold-lace band, a blanket tied around his neck, 

 leaving his right arm free, a shirt, and a pair of trowsers ; his 

 feet were bare. In his hand he carried a short cloak, made 

 of dog-skins, dressed with the hair on — it is his state-dress. 

 His face is handsomely tattooed, though its expression is not 

 a pleasing one. He is a great beggar, and as great a drunkard, 

 and is said to openly carry on the infamous traffic in women. 

 The females who accompanied him to the ship were, I was 

 informed, his wives, and one or two of them were quite good- 

 looking. When about to leave the ship, Captain Wilkes 

 made him a present of a cutlass, with which he appeared 

 much pleased, and which he handed over to his favorite wife 

 for safe keeping. 



During our stay at the Bay of Islands, the mean tempera- 

 ture was 65°. The prevailing winds were from the southeast 

 and west. From what I could learn by conversing with the 

 foreign residents, the climate of New Zealand is best suited 

 to a European constitution of any in the south seas. The 

 aboriginal inhabitants are liable to rheumatism and consump- 

 tion. The venereal disease is also very common among them, 

 and from want of proper medical treatment, it but too fre- 

 quently proves fatal. 



