New Zealand. When we left Sydney, a disease
was raging there of a most disagreeable
nature ; namely, catarrh. As usual, it affected
strongly the eyes and nose, and generally
proved fatal to the very old and to children.
We found the poor natives here subject to the
same complaint, which they called the “ Murray,”
or “ Murraybad;” and they declared
they caught it from us Europeans.
I could scarcely refrain from laughing
while witnessing the strange methods they
adopted to effect a cure. Sometimes they
would envelope their heads entirely in green
leaves, at other times they would almost
roast themselves in a heated hut; but their
universal remedy, and the one they generally
found successful, was starvation, which is, in
fact, the doctor who cures them of all the
diseases the Europeans have imported amongst
them: and, I confess, I have often been
amazed at their rapid recovery from maladies
which I should have thought incurable.
1 he other day I asked the opinion of a clever
medical man, who came here with one of the
whalers, and he informed me the only cases
he had met with amongst the natives, which
terminated fatally, were a few instances of
consumption.
After the novelty of our savage life began
to wear away, I rambled much about the
country, in order to form some judgment of
its capability of improvement. I never possessed
any practical knowledge of farming,
and therefore cannot give a scientific opinion
or description of the different soils. In whatever
direction I travelled, and at this time I
had crossed the country in various directions
several times, the soil appeared to me to be
fat and rich, and also well watered. From
every part of it which the natives have cultivated,"
the produce has been immense.
Here, where the finest samples of the human
race are to be found, the largest and finest
timber grows, and every vegetable (yet planted)
thrives, the introduction of European
grasses, fruits, &c. &c. would be a great desideratum.
Were this done, in a very short
time farms would be more eagerly sought
after here than they now are in New South
Wales. All the fruits and plants hitherto in-
K 8