140 
time the two most characteristic plants of New Zealand are the 
Kauri and the Harakeke or the New Zealand Pine, Dammam austra- 
lis , and the New Zealand flax plant, Phormium ter ax. 
The Kauri Pine is justly styled the Queen of the New Zea- 
land forest. What the silver-fir is to the mountainous regions of 
Middle Germany; what the famous Libanon cedar used to be in 
those majestic forests of Asia Minor which in ancient times fur- 
nished the material for the vessels of the Phoenicians and the timber 
for Salomon’s temple; or what to-day the Mammoth tree (Sequoia 
WellingtoniaJ is , the giant among the wood-giants in California : 
the same is for the forests of the warmer northern regions of New 
Zealand the celebrated and beautiful Kauri (. Dammara australis , 
Yellow Pine of the colonists). 
From the very first beginning of the colonization of New Zea- 
land, the Kauri forests of the North Island have proved a source 
of wealth to the settlers. They furnish the best ship spars and 
masts , excellent timber , and the gum of the Kauri Pine is a very 
important article of commerce. Even up to a most recent date, 
Kauri timber and Kauri gum have been estimated among the most 
important articles of export of New Zealand. 1 
The Kauri pine of all the coniferse of New Zealand is the 
only one bearing a cone. All the other pines belonging to the 
family of the coniferm, such as Totara, Kahikatea, Miro, Matai, 
Rimu , etc. (species of Podocarpus and Dacrydium) produce berries. 
The surname australis , might lead to the erroneous supposition 
that this tree is found also in the neighbouring continent of Austra- 
lia. But, in fact, New Zealand is the only and exclusive home 
of the Kauri pine, and even here its dominion is a very limited 
one. Kauri forests are found only upon the long and slender 
northwestern peninsula of the North Island between 34 '/ 2 ° and 
37 V 2 0 South latitude, and between 173° and 176° longitude 
of Greenwich. 
1 In (he year 1859 the amount of timber exportation from the Province of 
Auckland was £ 34,376; that of Kauri gum exported £ ‘20,776; together more than 
one half of all remaining exportations from the several ports ot the province. 
