NEW HOLLAND. 
329 
CHAP. XII. 
South-western borders of Polynesia—New Holland— 
Tempest off the coast—Observations on the aborigines 
—New Zealand—Situation — Soil — Productions—Cli¬ 
mate—Forest scenery—Native flax—Population—Sa¬ 
vage dispositions of the people—Cannibalism—Govern¬ 
ment-Slavery—in New Zealand—in Rio Janeiro— 
Cruel treatment of New Zealand slaves—Superstitions 
—Instance of parental tenderness—Occurrences at New 
Zealand—Tatauing—Sham fighting and war dances— 
Influence of reports from Tahiti—Prospects of the Mis¬ 
sion. 
The preceding chapter contains a brief notice of 
the principal islands and clusters in the eastern 
part of Polynesia, and which usually arrest the 
attention of those who, by the way of Cape Horn, 
enter the Pacific. The countries on the south¬ 
western borders of this ocean, are not less interest¬ 
ing ; and, in many respects, they are entitled to a 
greater degree of attention. - 
The most important of these are New Holland, 
and Van Diemen’s Land. In the former is the 
new settlement on the Swan River, and the im¬ 
portant colony of New South Wales ; in the latter, 
its flourishing appendages in Van Diemen’s Land. 
The navigation of the northern part of this ex¬ 
tensive island is intricate and dangerous. The 
shores of the southern part are rocky and bold, 
