S 02
17.73*
NOV-EMBE
A VO Y A GE ROUND, THE WORLD.
R. be the abundance of ferns towards the fummit of the mountain,
the roots of that plant being an article of their diet.
The fteepeft part of the path was cut in fteps paved with
fhingle or date, but beyond that the climbers impeded our
progrefs confiderably. About half way up, the foreft ended,
and the reft was covered with various ftirubs and ferns,
though it appeared to be naked and barren from, the {hip. At
the fummit we met with many plants which grow in the val-
lies and by the fea-fide at Duiky Bay, owing to the difference
of climate, which is fo much more rigorous in that fouth-
ern extremity of New Zeeland. The whole to the very top
confifts of the fame talcous clay which is univerfal all over
the ifland, and of a talcous ftone, which when expofed to
the fun and air, crumbles in pieces and diffolves into lamel-
lx. Its colour is whitilh, greyifh, and fometimes tinged
with a dirty yellowilh-red, perhaps owing to irony particles.
The fouth fide of the mountain is clad in forefts al-
moft to the fummit. The view from hence was very ex-
tenfive and pleafing; we looked into Eaft Bay as into a
fiQi-pond, and faw Cape Tera-wittee beyond the ftrait.
The mountains in the fouth arofe to a vaft height, and
were capt with fnow; and the whole profpeft on that fide
was wild and chaotic.- We made a fire as a memorial of
our expedition, and then came down the fame path by
which we had afcended. The next morning we made an
excurfion to Long Ifland, where we found a number of
plants
A VO Y A GE ROUND THE WORLD.
plants and fome birds which were new to us. In the woods
on the eaft fide we heard fome petrels in holes under ground
croaking like frogs and cackling like hens; and we fup-
pofed them to be of the little diving fpecies, which I have
noticed before. It feems to be a general cuftom of the petrel
tribe to make their neft in fubterraneous holes, as we found
the blue or filvery fort lodged in the fame manner at
Duiky Bay.
Ever fince the 1 2th the weather was mild and very fair;
the natives refided ahreaft of the fliip, and fupplied us with
plenty of fifli, whilft our failors carried on their former
amours with the women, amongft whom there was but one
who had tolerable features, and fomething foft and feminine
in her looks. She was regularly given in marriage by her
parents to one of our Ihipmates, who was particularly beloved
by this nation, for devoting much o f his time to them,
and treating them with thofe marks of affedtion which, even
among a favage race, endear mankind to each other. To-
gheeree, for fo the girl was called, proved as faithful to her
hufband as if he had been a New Zeelander, and conftantly
rejected the addrefles of other feamen, profefling herfelf a
married woman, (tirra-tane.) Whatever attachment the
Englifliman had to his New Zeeland wife, he never attempted
to take her on board, fbrefeeing that it would be highly
inconvenient to lodge the numerous retinue which crawled
in her garments and weighed down the hair of her head.
He
5 ° 3
*773?
November,