point, à la même race: mais cette distinction des tiaous ou
tiraras (les chefs) d’avec les toutous (bas peuple) ne repose que
sur des indications vagues et superficielles : car si la» plupart
des tiaous diffèrent des autres insulaires par une taille plus
avantageuse, par Une teinté de peau plus claire, cela tient à
ce qu’ils sont mieux nourris et moins exposés à l’influence du
soleil: d’ailleurs on observe dans la caste privilégiée quelques
hommes contrefaits et très basanés. Tous les Taï tiens, sous
presque aucune exception, sont dé très beaux hommes : leurs
membres ont des proportions gracieuses, mais en même temps
robustes en apparence, et partout les saillies musculaires sont
enveloppées par un tissu cellulaire épais qui arrondit, ;ce
que lesjormes ont de trop saillant» Nous mesurâmes deux
des plus beaux hommes du district de Matayai nommés Faeta
et IJpaparu ; leur taille était de cinq pieds huit pouces et
quelques lignes, et il tt’est pas rare de rencontrer des insulaires
qui aient cette stature ; cependant les dimensions les plus ordinaires
du reste des habitants sont, terme moyen, de cinq
pieds trois à cinq pouces.”*
Section IV.— The Maorians or New Zealanders.
The first European who found his way to New Zealand Was
Tasman, who arrived in that, country in 1042, immediately
after his discovery of Van Diemen’s Land, now named after
that celebrated navigator Tasmania. Newi Zealand consists
of two long narrow islands and several small ones. These
islands are situated between the thirty-fourth and forty-eighth
degrees of S. L., in a temperate climate, where the trees
preserve their foliage during the winter. In the months of
April and May, corresponding to our October and November,
the pot-herbs of our climate are in New Zealand still in flower.
The country is subject to severe storms and hurricanes. It is
in great part covered with thick forests, and bears in ravines
and other places where trees are wanting an immense vegetation
of ferns. In the interior are hills which in the Southern
* Lesson, Les Marrmuferes et les Oiseaux, vol.ii. pp. 205, 200.
island form a mountain chain of considerable elevation, running
through: the Mend country, and having their summits covered
with snow. The mountains Of New Zealand are supposed to be
principally volcanic» TteyTorm the centre of a botanical kingdom
or province of the hegeteble creation^which comprises the
neighbouring islands of ©hatham, Auckland, and Macquarie»
It has been observed by Dr. Dieffefibach, to -whom we are
indexed for the: mot# instructive work on t t e 'physical p«H-
ductions of this country, éhate although Flora of New
Zealand t displays 'some relations: to those of ithe two great
continents between which it is situated, the American and the
Australian^ and’ etwipôssesé#^spêdie^Menfical'iWith'thoSe of
Europe, yet the greater portion of its plants consist of species
and even genera peculiar and indigenous. Even thepropor-
tions of plants belonging to; the great families are in New
Zealand piculiar. Of species already* known, 314 ate
dicôtÿledonotis^ sand 318 cellular and monoCotyledonofts»
The sdantiness^f annual and flowering plants in proportion to
trees and ferns gives a distinctive character to ^tbe ^spe^-of
vegetation in this country, Which is ably described by Dr. Dief-
fenbaeh. fj§ If the travellef should happen to come
South Wales, he perceives either that the glaucous colour of
a New South Wales landscape ; produced by the Eucalypti,
©àsuârineae, Acâciæ, and BanfesiëS' of its open forests, which
is duly relieved iff oerteim situationsby à ifiSèhe*t gnié»,*ândrid.
certain seasons and localities by a variety ^beautiful flOwerte;
has given way in New Zealand-to the glossy green of a> dense
and mixed or that the ''landscape/ when it is covered
with the abundant fern, hàs assumed a brown hue; In the
former aspects depending. partly upon the Trée Eérns,; Palms,
and Dracaenas, which abound1 imNeW, Zeaîahd,' that country
resembles one'situated between the- tropics, and especially the
beautiful islands of the Pacific»” *
New Zealand contained at the- e r a io!«' Its discovery no
quadrupeds exdept th^ flog ànd -smaller than
that of Europe» Amphibious mammifers'were mbfe'numerous,