MAGNETIC IRON SAND. 
663 
Magnetic Ikon Sand. 
This valuable mineral abounds in New Zealand on the 
banks of our rivers and shores,, at the base of our volcanic 
mountains, from whence probably it originally came ; in the 
north it is found in large grains of great lustre, imbedded in 
yellow ochre ; when acted upon by water it forms a conglo- 
merate in large masses. Great quantities of this iron sand are 
thrown up on the Taranaki and Wanganui beaches, it consists 
of peroxide and protoxide of iron mixed, containing about 71 
per cent, of iron, and is the most valuable of iron ores ; the 
celebrated Swedish iron, in such high repute for making steel, 
is obtained from a mineral of precisely the same character. 
Working Green Stone. 
Next to the diamond, this is perhaps the most difficult 
stone to cut, still the Maori can work it into neck and ear 
ornaments, as well as meres, chisels, adzes, tokis, &c., he 
saws it by rubbing the edge of one slab on another, and 
for this purpose suspends a calabash of water, with a small 
hole in the bottom, over the stone he is working, so that it 
drops continuously, but slowly, he then takes some of the 
finest quartz sand, which he continually adds to the groove 
he is making, thus by patience and perseverance he succeeds 
in sawing it up ; to drill a hole, he ties a small piece of 
basalt or obsidian firmly to the end of a stick, the sides of 
which are weighted with two heavy stones ; attacked to the 
other end of the stick is a string, by which it is made to 
revolve, and to keep the point of the instrument constantly 
on the same spot, a piece of perforated wood is placed over 
it ; thus ornaments in the shape of human figures are formed. 
Manna. 
The Leptospermum Scopiarum, Manuka , or Kahi katoa 
trees, in some localities produce this substance in consider- 
able quantities, it is generally formed on the bark, and 
especially at the fork of a twig, otherwise it drops on any 
