366 NEW- ZEALAND [1830. 



becomes more known. It is well watered, fertile, and highly pro- 

 ductive of every species of vegetation congenial to its variety of climate, 

 in an extent of fourteen degrees of latitude. But it is mostly interesting 

 on account of its extensive population of aborigines ; a peculiar people, 

 who are separated into tribes or nations, each of which is governed 

 by its own chief or king. The northern island is divided into eight 

 principal districts, which are again subdivided into smaller sections, 

 over which inferior chiefs hold dominion. It appears, however, 

 that the areekee, or king of a district, is not absolute in power, as the 

 inferior chiefs make frequent wars on each other, without consulting him. 



The native inhabitants of New-Zealand are evidently of the same 

 original stock with the Otaheitans, the people of the Friendly Islands, 

 and the other Polynesians. Their language is radically the same as 

 that of the Otaheitans. They have generally dark tawny complexions, 

 though I have seen a few of them comparatively fair, and others again 

 quite black. Their countenances are, with few exceptions, pleasing 

 and intelligent, without those indications of ferocity which some of 

 their actions would lead us to anticipate. The men are tall, mus- 

 cular, and well made. 



The village at the head of Molyneux's Harbour, which is called by 

 the natives Tavaimoo, contains twenty-eight huts, of miserable accom- 

 modations. The best among them are shaped like our barns, being 

 about ten feet high, thirty feet in length, and twelve or fifteen in breadth. 

 The inside is strongly constructed, and well fastened together by osiers 

 or supple vines. They are painted, generally, with red sides and 

 black roofs, using the same kind of material as that with which they 

 daub their faces. At one end is a small hole, just large enough to 

 admit one person, stooping low ; this serves as a door ; while another 

 hole considerably smaller, answers the double purpose of chimney and 

 window. 



Few of their habitations, however, are constructed in this luxurious 

 manner. The most of them are less than half this size, and are seldom 

 more than four or five feet in height. They are framed of young trees, 

 and thatched with long coarse grass. Their household furniture con- 

 sists of a few small baskets or bags, in which they deposite their 

 fishing-gear, and other trifles. They squat down in the middle of these 

 huts, around the fire, and often sleep all night in this manner, with- 

 out any other covering than what they have worn during the day. 



Both sexes are clothed alike, having a garment made of the silky 

 hemp, which is a natural production of the country. These robes are 

 five feet long, and four broad, and this is their principal manufacture, 

 which is performed by knotting and running the warp on the ground, 

 and working in the filling by hand. Their war mats are made in the 

 same manner, and are sometimes highly ornamented. I brought home 

 a number of them, two of which I presented to the proprietor of Peale's 

 Museum, in Broadway, New- York, together with a New-Zealand axe 

 made of jasper, and a number of their bows, arrows, spears, war-clubs, 

 paddles, &c. &c. I made a similar donation to Scudder's American 

 Museum, where they have been much admired ; and also to the Museum 

 in the city of Albany. 



