savage to the last degree. But I am inclined to think they are not a very bad people after all.

At the south-east corner of New Holland, and separated from it only by a small strip of the sea, is a large island called Van Diemen's Land. The climate here is very healthy, and the English have several settlements, the chief of which is Hobart Town.

The natives are negroes, like those of New Holland, but they build better huts, and appear to have more intelligence and humanity.

What about Van Diemen's Land?

CHAP. XXVIII.

THE SHIP LEAVES NEW HOLLAND, AND GOES TO NEW ZEALAND. VARIOUS MATTERS AND THINGS ABOUT NEW

ZEALAND.

HAVING remained about three weeks at Port Jackson, our ship set sail for New Zealand. This consists of two islands, separated by a strait about fifteen miles in width. They are long and narrow, and both together have somewhat the shape of a boot.

We reached the northern part of New Zealand in about three weeks after we left New Holland. We sailed along the eastern coast, and several times came to anchor. The officers went ashore at various places, and had considerable intercourse with the natives.

The people are tall, well formed, and of a

What of New Zealand?

copper colour. They are entirely unlike the negroes of New Holland and New Guinea, but bear a strong resemblance to the inhabitants of the Polynesian islands.

A great many of the chiefs came on board our ship. They were exceedingly anxious to get hoes, axes, and other iron tools. They value a hoe above every thing. This instrument is indeed of great importance to these people, for they live chiefly by cultivating the ground.

They live in houses made of large twigs, covered with rushes. Their grounds are cultivated with great neatness and care. The soil is fruitful, and they raise considerable crops of potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and other things. They also raise wheat, turnips, and cabbages. These things have been introduced into the country by the European voyagers who have visited it. When civilized people visit barbarous

What of the people? Their houses? Soil? Productions?
Q

nations in a spirit of peace and good will, they are able to render them great services; but too often the poor savages have more reason to be sorry than thankful in being visited by white people.

The inhabitants are a good deal farther advanced in civilization than those of some of the other islands. We saw a great many patches of ground very handsomely laid out and cultivated. The people make cloaks of a species of flax, which display great ingenuity and patience. The flax, which resembles hemp, is made into threads, and then woven together by pegs, and fastened with knots.

This cloak is worn on the shoulders by both men and women. They wear another garment round the body, fastened with a girdle. This is made of the same material as the cloak.

The people of New Zealand live principally

Dress of the people?

on fish, and the root of a kind of fern serves them for bread. This they scorch over the fire, and then beat it with a stick till the dried outside falls off. I would rather have a little wheaten bread in Boston than the fish and dried fern root of New Zealand.

The northern island is very fertile, and the climate is warm and pleasant. There are here a great many thick forests, and an abundance of small streams. The country is very hilly, and there are some very lofty mountains. The southern island is far less fertile, though the forest trees grow to a great height.

The climate here is much colder than in the northern island; snow and hail are very common, and on the high mountains, some of which are very lofty, snow remains nearly the whole

year.

These islands are not very thickly inhabited.

What of the northern island? Southern island?