809 
ZEALAND (New). 
others which are both curious and serviceable. The supple¬ 
jack is to be met with in all parts of the wood3; and there is 
here also a species of the myrtle, similar to that found in 
various parts of New South Wales. Another species of it 
grows in the country about Dusky bay, an infusion of which 
was drunk by the crew of the Endeavour, as a substitute for 
tea. The leaves of this shrub have a pleasant aromatic 
flavour at the first infusion, but yield a strong bitter when 
the water is poured on them a second time. In the thick 
forests, where it is sheltered from the weather, this shrub be¬ 
comes a considerable tree, growing frequently to the height 
of 30 or 40, and even 60 feet, and it frequently proved a 
great obstruction to Mr. Nicolas and those who accompanied 
him, in their progress through the forest. In New Zealand 
there are no trees that yield a fruit fit to be eaten by Euro¬ 
peans ; though there are some few which the natives them¬ 
selves prize very highly for the sort they produce. But fruc¬ 
tiferous trees of any description are here very scarce, and 
perhaps not more than three or four species could be found 
in the country. Besides the common fern, which supplies 
the natives with their ordinary food, there is here likewise 
the fern-tree, so called from having its leaves similar to those 
of that weed; and which also affords them an edible sub¬ 
stance. The part of it eaten by these people is the root, 
which they bake between hot stones, in the same manner as 
they dress their potatoes; and when thus prepared, its flavour 
is considered better than that of a turnip. In the centre of 
this tree is found a tender pulp, which is extremely succu¬ 
lent, yielding, when cut, a juice of a reddish colour. The 
native herbage of this country, as far as could be perceived 
by those who visited it, is confined to a few species; and 
there are two principal obstacles here to the growth of any 
kind of grass in the forest lands: the first is, the rank exu¬ 
berance of the trees, which infects the soil; and the next, 
the exclusion of the rays of the sun, by the impenetrable 
thickness of the foliage; so that the woods afford nothing 
that can serve as pasturage for cattle. The herbaceous pro¬ 
ductions indigenous to the country are, wild celery, canary 
grass, wild parsley, plantain grass, a species of ray-grass, the 
ensata or flag, the phormium tenax, or flax-plant, and a spe¬ 
cies of the fern. The esculent roots cultivated by the natives, 
and which have been given to them by Europeans, are the po- 
tatoe, the cabbage, the turnip, and the tacca, a species of the 
yam. The only grain they have in the country is a little In¬ 
dian corn, which they have likewise received from European 
navigators, as well as the pumpkin or gourd; and this they 
cultivate for the purpose of converting it into drinking vessels. 
The animal kingdom in New Zealand, includes but few 
species, and the quadrupeds in particular are very scarce, 
amounting only to five, a rat, a small bat, the sea-bear, or 
ursine seal; the fourth, the animal called by lord Anson the 
sea lion ; and the guana, or lizard. The birds, though not 
so numerous as in some other parts, are still deserving of con¬ 
sideration, some of them possessing both a melodious voice 
and a beautiful appearance. The poe, with its pendent tufts 
of white feathers, charms with its delightful notes the roman¬ 
tic wilds of New Zealand. The parrot and parroquet are 
also to be seen, of different species; also a small bird resem¬ 
bling the sparrow; and a singular species of duck, having 
the beak, legs, and feet, of a bright red, the eyes encircled 
with a rim of the same colour, and the body of a fine glossy 
black. The wild duck was observed in the marshy grounds, 
and on the banks of the rivers ; also some small birds of the 
most beautiful plumage. The feathers of the cassowary were 
also seen on the garments of some of the chiefs; but the bird 
itself was not seen by the missionaries. Among the sea-fowl 
which are generally to be met with upon the coast, were ob¬ 
served the shag, the gannet, the albatross, and three or four 
species of the petrel. In Dusky bay the small birds are re¬ 
presented as being exceedingly numerous; and they were 
found by captain Cook’s party so very tame and unac¬ 
quainted with the presence of mankind, that they betrayed 
no distrust whatsoever, and even hopped on the ends of the 
fowling-pieces. There was shot in this bay a white heron, 
Vol. XXIV. No. 1674. 
that answered exactly to the description given by Pennant, in 
his British Zoology, of a bird formerly found in England. 
Towards the southward there are also water hens of a large 
species, rails in vast numbers, cormorants, oyster-catchers or 
sea-pies, penguins, and some other sorts of aquatic birds. 
From this part of New Zealand 37 new species pf birds were 
brought away on the return of captain Cook. The country 
will now have to boast of every species of domestic fowl 
known in Europe; for the missionaries, who have now esta¬ 
blished themselves in the island, took with them great num¬ 
bers of turkeys, geese, ducks, and common fowl; so that, 
in the course of a few years, these will be numerously propa¬ 
gated, and supply the natives with a new article of diet. The 
insects are not supposed to be numerous. Those observed 
were the beetle, the flesh-fly, the common fly, and a small 
sand-fly, which proved exceedingly troublesome. Few mos¬ 
quitoes were to be seen. Around the coast there was the most 
remarkable abundance of fish; nor is the profusion more 
remarkable than the variety. Every creek swarms with 
fish, which are not only wholesome, but equally delicious 
with those of Europe. “ The ship seldom anchored (says 
captain Cook) in any station, or, with a light gale, passed 
any place that did not afford us enough with hook and line 
to serve the whole ship’s company, especially to the south¬ 
ward : when we lay at anchor, the boats with hook and line, 
near the rocks, could take fish in any quantity ; and the 
seine seldom failed of producing a still more ample supply ; 
so that both times when we anchored in Cook’s strait, every 
mess in the ship, that was not careless and improvident, salted 
as much as lasted many w^eeks after they went to sea. Of 
this article the variety was equal to the plenty : we had mac¬ 
kerel of many kinds, among which, one was exactly the same 
as we have in England. These came in immense shoals, and 
were taken by the natives in their seines, who sold them to 
us at a very easy rate. Besides these, there were fish of 
many species which we had never seen before; but to all 
which the seamen very readily gave name ; so that we talked 
here as familiarly of hakes, bream, cole fish, and many others, 
as we do in England; and though they are by no means of 
the same family, it must be confessed that they do honour to 
the name. But the highest luxury which the sea afforded us, 
even in this place, was the lobster, or sea cray-fish, which are 
probably the same that, in the account of lord Anson’s 
voyage, are said to have been found at the island of Juan 
Fernandez, except that, although large, they are not quite 
equal in size. They differ from ours in England in several 
particulars; they have a greater number of prickles on their 
backs, and they are red when first taken out of the water. 
These we also bought every where to the northward, in great 
quantities, from the natives, who catch them by diving near 
the shore, and finding out where they lie with their feet. We 
had also a fish that Fregier, in his voyage to the Spanish 
Main in South America, has described by the names of elefanl, 
pejegallo, or poison coq, which, though coarse, we ate very 
heartily. Several species of the skate, or stingray, are also 
found here, which are still coarser than the eiefant; but as 
an atonement, we had, among many kinds of dog-fish, one 
spotted with white, which was in flavour exactly similar to 
our best skate, but much more delicious. We had also flat¬ 
fish, resembling both soles and flounders, besides eels and 
congers of various kinds, with many others, of which those 
who shall hereafter visit this coast will not fail to find the ad¬ 
vantage ; and shell-fish in great variety, particularly clams, 
cockles, and oysters.” 
New Zealand is supposed to have been peopled from some 
of the numerous islands scattered throughout the Indian 
ocean. The people are savage in their manners, and are ad¬ 
dicted to all the vices belonging to their barbarous mode of 
life. Their government is a complete despotism The chiefs 
rule over the multitude with the most despotic sway ; they 
are also oppressed by their chiefs, who hold them in complete 
vassalage. The females, as in most savage countries, are held 
in a most degraded state, compelled by the men to undergo 
every sort of laborious drudgery, while they themselves loiter 
8 S away 
