808 
Z E A L A 
the eastern coast from lat. 34. to 43., and entered the strait 
called Cook’s strait. He was attacked by the natives soon 
after he came to an anchor, in the place to which he gave 
the name of Murderer’s bay, and never went on shore : he 
gave the country the name of Staaten Land, in honour of the 
States General; and it is now generally distinguished in our 
maps and charts by the name of New Zealand. It was sup¬ 
posed, from the period of its first discovery to the time of 
the enterprising captain Cook, that the strait entered by Tas¬ 
man separated an island from some vast southern continent ; 
but the British navigator, who sailed round both islands in 
the years 1769 and 1770, has completely removed this geo¬ 
graphical error. The two islands that go by the name of 
New Zealand are situated between the latitudes of 34. 22. 
and 47. 25. S., and between the longitude of 166. and 180. 
E. The northernmost of these islands is called by the natives 
Eaheinomauwe, and the southernmost Tavai, or Tovy Poen- 
ammoo. Upon referring to the map of this country, it will 
be seen that Eaheinomauwe, or the northern island, running 
from the North Cape, which is in lat. 34. 20 S. to Cape 
Palliser, in 41.36. S., contains 436 miles in length; and 
taking the medium breadth, which varies from five miles at 
Sandy bay to 180 at the East Cape, at about 60 miles, this 
extent will include 26,160 square miles, or 16.742,400 
square acres; while Tavai Poenammoo, the southern island, 
extending from 41. 30. to 47. 25. S., stretches 360 miles in 
length, and estimating its medium breadth at 100 miles, 
contains not less than 36,000 square miles, or 23,040,000 
square acres. These islands, therefore, taken together, will 
give an area of 62,160 square miles, or 39,782,400 square 
acres. Such is the calculation made of the dimensions of 
these islands by Mr. Nicolas, who visited them in the years 
1814 and 1815, for the purpose of establishing missionaries 
among the natives. The general face of the country, as far 
as they had an opportunity of exploring it, is undulating; 
and the hills rise with a varied ascent, from inconsiderable 
eminences to lofty mountains. A continued chain of hills 
runs from the North Cape to the river Thames, and extends, 
as would appear from Captain Cook’s survey, through the 
whole country, from north to south; while, in taking the 
latter direction, these hills gradually swell into mountains, 
the highest of which, according to Dr. Forster, is Mount 
Egmont, lying in lat. 39. 16. S., long. 179. 45. E„ and said 
to resemble in its appearance the peak of Teneriffe, being 
also of the same elevation. The whole of the northern 
island, if we except a few spots on the western side, appears 
admirably well adapted for the purposes of cultivation; but 
the southern island is described by Captain Cook as moun¬ 
tainous, and apparently barren. Even here, however, the 
astonishing height of the trees found growing upon it, as 
well as their great abundance, would seem to indicate a fer¬ 
tile soil. Mr. Nicolas mentions, that, in their excursions into 
the interior of the northern island, they found that the soil 
varied in its quality, but generally appeared extremely fertile. 
The hills were composed, for the greater part, of a stiff" clay; 
and the vallies consisted of a black vegetable mould, pro¬ 
ducing fern of the most luxuriant growth; while the swamps, 
occasionally met with, were of trifling extent, and might be 
drained with little trouble or expense. Everywhere a fine 
rich verdure met the eye, and gave a favourable impression 
of the genial influence of the climate. From the accounts 
of the missionaries, who visited the Bay of Islands in the 
midst of winter, and from the observations of Mr. Nicolas 
during the summer, there does not appear to be in any 
country in the world a finer or more constant climate, than 
in this part of New Zealand. Though not removed farther 
than 11 degrees from the tropics, where the rays of the sun fall 
vertically, the heats were never found during the summer 
months to be excessive, or unfavourable to vegetation; and 
the air was so delightfully bland and healthful, as to act 
powerfully on. the spirits. The thermometer ranged between 
74”, its height in summer, and in winter fell during the day 
to 63°. The plantations looked as flourishing and green as 
they would in Britain in the latter end of spring, or in the 
N D (New). 
beginning of summer. This verdant and fertile appearance 
was not in the least diminished by the heats of summer; for 
there were occasionally soft and mellow showers that de¬ 
scended to refresh the lands, and several days of continual 
rain were also experienced. The herbage, therefore, never 
for a moment lost that rich freshness so pleasing to the eye 
of the beholder, and the prospect in every direction was 
cheering and attractive. The mildness of the climate in this 
part of the country appears equally to extend to that border¬ 
ing on Queen Charlotte’s sound, where the vegetables which 
Captain Cook had sown in a previous visit, where found by 
him on his return remarkably vigorous; having stood the 
winter without being otherwise affected by it than as it added 
to their strength; though, if lelt exposed during the same 
season in England, they must certainly have perished. In 
this part, notwithstanding that it lies as far south as 41°, and 
in the vicinity of the snow mountains, yet no frost could be 
seen during the time the Resolution and Adventure remained 
here, which was till the 6th of June, almost the very depth 
of winter. The climate, at the further end of the southern 
island, must, from its situation, partake of a much greater 
degree of cold than the other parts, and is subject, it appears, 
to heavy and continued rains; for Captain Cook observes, 
that “ during the stay the Resolution made in Dusky bay, 
which was tor six weeks and four days, only one week of 
continued fair weather was experienced, and all the rest of 
the time the rain predominated, insomuch that they never 
experienced above two fair days in immediate succession; 
but notwithstanding which (he adds) the crew recovered 
their health very fast; and perhaps the climate was less 
noxious to Englishmen, than it would have been to any 
other nation, from being so analogous to their own.” 
From the remarks here offered, it will be seen that the cli¬ 
mate of New Zealand, taking the country through its whole 
extent, is mild and temperate, and consequently particularly 
favourable to the growth of whatever productions the soil 
may be adapted to yield. New Zealand, thus favoured with 
a fertile soil and fine climate, is rich in various natural pro¬ 
ductions, some of which are extremely valuable. In the 
vegetable kingdom there is no production that is so much 
calculated to strike the traveller with admiration as the trees 
of amazing growth, which rise in wild luxuriance all over 
this country. Pines of different descriptions, and which are 
utterly unknown to Europeans, are here to be met with, of 
a height which leaves no similarity between them and the 
tallest that ever grew on the mountains of Norway; and 
those species which bear the uncouth names of the cowrie, 
the totarra, the towha, and the zarida, afford such a supply 
of valuable timber as the profusion of some ages to come will 
not be able to exhaust. Here are also several kinds of trees 
of inferior growth, though not less excellent in their quality; 
and many of them are admirably well adapted for ornamental 
works requiring a fine grain, the wood being of this nature, 
and susceptible of a high polish. According to the differ¬ 
ent situations in the country, the timber appears to vary. 
“Thus, (says Dr. Forster,) a fine tree at Dusky bay, or the 
southern extremity (Tavai Poenammoo), which there grows 
in the lowest part of the country, dwindles to a small in¬ 
considerable shrub at Queen Charlotte’s sound, or the north¬ 
ern end, where it is only seen on the highest mountains.” 
But this difference is not to be ascribed to the soil, else the 
reverse would be the case, and the limber would grow to a 
larger size in the northern quarter, as being the most fertile, 
and would be stunted in the opposite direction; it is caused 
only by the variations of the climate happening to be more 
favourable to those particular species of trees in different de¬ 
grees of temperature. The trees which the natives chiefly 
make subservient to their purposes, are, besides the different 
species of pine above mentioned, the henow, from which 
they extract a black dye; the towha, a tree resembling the 
sycamore; the river river, the grain of whose wood is 
similar to that of the beech ; a species of the cork-tree, called 
by these people vow ; a large tree named eckoha, and another 
termed kycata, a tall and beautiful tree, together with many 
others 
