8 KAURI HABITAT. 
Cedar with the leaves of an Olive (‘‘un Cédre & feuilles d’Olivier ’’). 
He says, ‘‘I had Cedars of this variety cut down whose trunks were 
more than 100 ft. long from the ground to the lowest branches and 
52in. in diameter. The trees are very resinous; the resin is white 
and transparent, and gives out an agreeable smell like incense when 
burnt. It appeared to me that this Cedar is the commonest and highest 
tree of the country. Its wood is elastic, and I judge it very suitable 
for making ships’ masts.’’ . 
There is no existing forest where the Kauri could be described as 
the commonest tree, and few, if any, trees left with clean boles of 100 ft. 
Du Fresne established a shipyard on shore for the preparation of 
ships’ spars. Eighty-seven years afterwards Dr. Thomson was able 
to find the remains of these masts, showing the durability of Kauri 
timber under conditions promoting decay. 
Maori Recorpbs. 
Mr. Cheeseman has searched the literature of Maori records and 
obtained nothing of importance regarding the Kauri tree, and this 
negative result is confirmed by Mr. Elsdon Best, the Maori-lore authority 
of the National Museum. 
Katrr Hapitrat. 
Broadly speaking, Kauri grows over one-fourth the latitude occupied 
by New Zealand. ‘‘ The geographical range of Kauri, says Mr. Cheese- 
man, “is very limited. Some scattered trees exist in the North Cape 
Peninsula, especially between Tapotopoto Bay and Spirits Bay, but it is 
not found in any quantity to the north of Ahipara and Mangonui. From 
these two localities southwards to the Manukau Harbour on the west coast 
and Tairua on the east is the proper home of the tree—the district 
which for a hundred years has supplied almost the whole of the Kauri 
timber used im the Dominion or exported therefrom. Its extreme 
southern limit on the east coast is near Maketu, in the Bay of Plenty ; 
on the west, in the vicinity of Kawhia Harbour. In the valley of the 
Thames an extensive Kauri forest once existed at Waiorongomai, near 
Te Aroha, but it has long since been cut down. A few isolated trees, 
however, still exist on the ranges fianking the Thames Valley beyond 
Te Aroha, the Gordon Settlement being the southern limit. In the 
Waikato district scattered trees or small clumps were once not un- 
common on the west side of the Waipa, near Negaruawahia, stretching 
southwards almost as far as Whatawhata. The southern boundary of 
the Kauri can therefore be said to coincide with the 38th parallel of 
south latitude. As for its altitudinal range, it descends to sea-level in 
many localities, but is most abundant from 250 ft. to 1,000 ft. of eleva- 
tion. [t is not common above 1,500 it., although it occurs up to 
2,000 ft. on the Cape Colville Peninsula, and between Hokianga and the 
Northern Wairoa.’’ (Lecture, Auckland Institute. ) 
_ In other words, Kauri occupies the big peninsula of the North Island 
with Auckland lying nearly at its centre, while Kauri is practically 
absent from the little sandy peninsula in the extreme north. 
Tur CLIMATE WHERE Grow THE Biecgest Kaurr Tress. 
A, The Kauri seems to have attained its largest dimensions near the 
mixed ’’ forest zone at the higher altitudes, It appears that Kauri 
forms the densest stands of timber on the warm coast lands, about 
