beds of lava and tuff. Farther out in the sea, East of the Maunga- 
nui, there is a small rocky island, Motu-Otau, upon which the 
singular lizard, Hatteria punctata Gray, Ruatara of the natives, 
18 inches in lenglit, is said to exist, a specimen of which Dieffen- 
bach has brought to London. The Tuliua island (Mayor island), 
1100 feet high , 20 seamiles North of the entrance to the Tauranga 
Harbour, is an extinct volcano with a large crater open towards 
South-East. On the West-side huge blocks of the beautiful greenish- 
black obsidian (Tuliua of the natives) are found, to which the island 
owes its name, and of which a captain is said to have shipped a 
whole load to Auckland, mistaking it for coal. 
Formerly Tauranga was one of the most densely populated 
parts on the East-coast. Dieffenbacli in 1841 estimated the number 
of the inhabitants still at 3000 ; now it will be scarcely found to 
exceed 800 or 1000. Serious hostilities had broken out of late 
between the two tribes dwelling along the harbour, the Ngatihokos 
and the Ngaiterangis, and at the time of my visit they were at 
open war with each other. At the Mission station we could di- 
stinctly hear the fire of musketry from the neighbouring scene of war. 
The cause of the war were the claims of both tribes to the posses- 
sion of a piece of land Southeast of Te Papa. Both parties endea- 
vored to settle upon the contested ground, leaving their former 
villages and plantings. Fortified camps (Pali Wawai) were built; 
and in spite of the efforts made by the missionaries, the native as- 
sessor, and even the Maori King Potatau, to settle the difficulty by 
an equitable partition of the land in question, they took up arms. 
After a few of them had been killed on both sides , the parties grew 
more and more irreconciliable. Thus the conflict had lasted already 
for three whole years. The opportunity to witness the Maori, war 
was too enticing; so we set out on the 11. May in company ot 
Mr. Voelkner to visit the seat of war. A short passage across 
the Southeast branch of the harbour brought us to the spot. Red 
flags with the English inscription “war” were waving from the 
forts, as we arrived, and here and there shots were fired. I had 
my white pocket-handkerchief tied to a long pole and this im- 
