TREES 
40 
longer and narrower. It bears a red berry ; of 
which the natives are particularly fond, and which 
has latterly beconae an article of barter among 
themselves. The first visitors to New Zealand 
were much disappointed in this tree. It is, what 
has commonly been designated, the White Pine : 
but it is of so soft and spongy a nature, as to rot 
in a few months, if exposed to the weather. It 
absorbs so much wet, that, in the damp climate of 
New Zealand, it is almost impossible to season it ; 
and from its having been exported, and strongly 
recommended for building purposes, it quickly 
brought the pines of this country into disre- 
pute. Now, however, it is never cut down for 
use, except by those persons who are not ac- 
quainted with its nature, or who have no scru- 
ples in substituting it in the place of more 
durable woods, which, in many situations, it is 
more difficult to obtain. The tree grows with 
great rapidity, quickly comes to perfection, and 
as quickly decays. 
Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinuTYi) — This elegant 
tree comes to its greatest perfection in shaded 
woods, and in moist rich soil. Its topmost 
branches are not more than eighty feet from the 
ground; and the diameter of its trunk seldom 
exceeds four feet. Its foliage is remarkably 
graceful and beautiful, especially it its shrubbery 
days. Its leaves are only small prickles, running 
up a long stem, from which, towards the top, 
branch out several other small stems, whose 
