NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
2 
waterfalls and forests of New Zealand—-especially the latter—are well worthy 
of notice. 
Before I enter upon a more minute description of the natural productions of 
the country, I shall conduct the reader from the heads of the river Hookyarga to 
the Wesleyan Mission station, Mungung, through some of the most delightful 
scenery in the world. The appearance of the country is not, at first sight, very 
interesting to the naturalist. The north head is composed of a barren sand-hill 
in a conical form, being an excellent mark for vessels entering the river; it is 
destitute of all vegetation, and is of a whitish colour; whilst that of the south 
is composed of high broken hills. The barren rocks appear through in many 
places, and are clothed with verdure to their summits, the foliage being of a remark¬ 
ably light green colour, which contrasted well with the sombre appearance of the 
dark ^basaltic rocks. The whole island bears very strong marks of volcanic 
agency. 
On the south head an English sailor has built a small house, and hoists signals to 
denote whether it is safe to cross the bar at the mouth of the river. The river at 
the north is about three miles broad, and does not decrease in breadth for about four 
miles from the heads,"when we come to the first native village or settlement, called 
Parkani, where the chief of the heads resides, who came on board as soon as the 
vessel passed the village. He was a fine, tall, good-looking man for a New- 
Zealander, with his face, arms, and thighs much tattooed. The only covering he 
wore was a large green blanket, in which he was enveloped. He brought a 
present of Water-melons, Figs, Maize (or Indian Corn), and Peaches. The 
Peaches differed from any I have yet seen, being of a yellowish colour, and 
possessing more of the flavour of Prunus Armeniaca than of Amygdalus. A 
little above Parkani the river takes a slight turn to the left; the first European 
settlement is situated on the right bank, on a small isolated point of land called 
66 one tree point.” At this part of the river the banks are steep, being composed 
of a soft sinuous rock, which is much perforated by a species of Pholas , but as I 
could not obtain a perfect specimen, I was unable to distinguish the species. The 
banks above high-water mark were covered with a profusion of Ferns, among 
which I found Polypodium scandens and P. pustulaium , growing among large 
bushes of Leptospermum scoparium , which was in full flower. 
Somewhat above the point is a small rock or island cut into terraces, and which 
was used by the natives as a place of defence previous to the introduction of 
fire- arms. It is now covered with a profusion of Anthropodium cirratum , and a 
small species of Pimelea , which I took for P. Jilamentosa. 
The country becomes more interesting the further we proceed up the river, 
which is now about one mile broad, the forest for the first time coming to the 
water’s edge, which, from its luxuriant appearance, induced me to land. After 
