CHAPTER X
GENERAL ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND
Its discovery by Tasman—Mountains—Harbours—Cultivation—Trees—Suitability of Thames River for colonisation—Climate—Absence of native quadrupeds—Birds—Insects—Fish—Plants—Native and introduced vegetables—Absence of fruits—New Zealand flax—Population—Qualities of the natives—Tattowing and painting—Dress—Head-dresses—Ear- and nose-ornaments—Houses—Food—Cannibalism amongst men—Freedom from disease—Canoes—Carving—Tools—Cloth fabrics—Nets—Tillage—Weapons—Spontoons—War and other songs—Human trophies—Heppahs—Chiefs—Religion—Burial—Language.
As we intend to leave this place to-morrow, I shall spend a few sheets in drawing together what I have observed of the country and of its inhabitants, premising that in this, and in all other descriptions of the same kind which may occur in this journal, I shall give myself liberty to conjecture, and draw conclusions from what I have observed. In these I may doubtless be mistaken; in the daily Journal, however, the observations may be seen, and any one who refers to that may draw his own conclusions from them, attending as little as he pleases to any of mine.
This country was first discovered by Abel Jansen Tasman on the 13th of December 1642, and called by him New Zealand. He, however, never went ashore on it, probably from fear of the natives, who, when he had come to an anchor, set upon one of his boats and killed three or four out of the seven people in her.
Tasman certainly was an able navigator; he sailed into the mouth of Cook's Straits, and finding himself surrounded, to all appearance, by land, observed the flood tide to come from
