in New Zealand. 
271 
becomes as it were superficially bronzed. Pebbles and 
small stones lying within the influence of the water or 
steam, wore a bronze-like appearance. Accidents not 
unfrequently happen to children; and to dogs and pigs 
brought from a distance. The quadrupeds, however, of 
the place, appear instinctively to be well aware of the 
potential callidity of these streams, and shun them ac¬ 
cordingly. The natives who live in this neighbourhood 
are, when travelling, easily recognised as belonging to 
this district, in consequence of their front teeth decay¬ 
ing at a very early age, contrary to those of other New 
Zealanders. This is supposed to be caused by the 
sulphur with which these springs are impregnated, being 
deposited on the surface of their food during the opera¬ 
tion of cooking, which, consisting chiefly of roots, is 
mostly bitten into morsels with their front teeth. The 
natives of this village are celebrated, among other 
things, for their manufacture of tobacco-pipes; an 
article of first-rate utility to a New Zealander. These 
they carve out of a white stone which is found in this 
neighbourhood, patiently finishing a short-stemmed 
pipe in a day. These pipes look well, and stand the 
heat of the fire. # I saw some beautiful white blocks 
of this stone near the village, lying on the surface of 
the ground; some of which were vitrified on the out¬ 
side. The natives of this neighbourhood grow their 
own tobacco, which they gather, and, separating the 
large fibres of the leaf, twist up into figs, in imitation 
* I have a large pipe now by me, made of pumice, which I obtained at 
Wareponga, on the E. coast, in 1838. The native from whom I re¬ 
ceived it, was smoking from it when I came up. Of necessity it was 
very thick, but a reed was introduced as a mouth-piece. The owner 
gladly exchanged it for a common day pipe of European manufacture. 
