them. The weather was too thick to see distinctly; their extent was only 3 miles from E. to W., and about half a league from N. to S.; their number, including the smaller ones, was thirteen. I could not observe any verdure on them there were white spots like patches of snow, but they may be of white stone or marble. The westernmost of these islands is the largest; they are of sufficient height to be seen at the distance of 7 leagues from a ship's deck. When the easternmost bore North, I tried for soundings, being then 10 miles distant from the nearest of them, and found bottom at 75 fathoms, a fine white sand; and again at noon, having run 6 leagues more to the E.S.E., we had soundings in 104 fathoms, a fiue brimstone-coloured sand.”

Capt. Biscoe visited them in the Tula, in 1832, for the purpose of catching seals, but with very indifferent success. His observations remove them from lon. 179° 6' E.,† in which they had been given, to 178° 26′ E.

The latitude, also, by some more complete observations by Capt. Martyn, of the ship Lalla Rookh, in 1846, is 47° 55' S.

CHATHAM ISLANDS.

This group was discovered by Capt. Broughton, attached to Vancouver's expedition, in the armed tender Chathum, from whence the usual name is derived. The following extract from Vancouver's Voyage will describe this event :—

November 26, 1791.-" In the evening the wind shifted suddenly to the S.W., and blew with such violence, that striking our topmasts and yards became necessary. A remarkably heavy following sea kept the vessel constantly under water; but the gale was attended with clear weather. At noon, on the 27th, our latitude, by observation, was 45° 54', longitude, by account, 176° 13'. The gale now moderated, which permitted us again to resume our N.E. course, with a fine breeze between West and N.W. Early in the morning of the 29th low land was discovered, bearing, by compass, N.E. to E.N.E.; and, being then in 40 fathoms water, we brought-to until daybreak. About four o'clock we had 38 fathoms, sandy and broken shelly bottom, when the N.W. point of this land, which is low, bore by compass S. 7° E., about 3 leagues distant, and which, after the man who fortunately saw it, from the fore-yard, I named Point Allison; a remarkably rugged rocky mountain, that obtained the name of Mount Patterson, S. 60° E.; a sugar-loaf hill, S. 84° E.; and the extreme point to the eastward, which formed an abrupt cape, N. 75° E. Two islands N. 3° E. to N. 5° E., 2 or 3 leagues distant. The interior land was of a moderate height, rising gradually, and forming several peaked hills, which, at a distance, have the appearance of islands. From Point Allison to Mount Patterson the shore is low and covered with wood; from thence to the above cape was a continued white beach, on which some sandy cliffs and black rocks were interspersed, apparently detached from the shore. To the eastward of these rocks, between them and a flat projecting point, the land seemed to form a bay open to the westward. From this point to the above cape, a distance of about 2 miles, the cliffs are covered with wood and coarse grass.

A Voyage to the South Sea in H.M.S. Bounty, by Lieutenant W. Bligh, pp. 55-6. ↑ Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. iii. p. 109.

These cliffs are of moderate height, composed of a reddish clay mixed with black rocks. Several large black rocks lie off Point Allison and the cape, extending to a little distance; and, as we passed within about half a mile of the shore, the depth of water was 14 fathoms, broken shells and sandy bottom. This cape forms a conspicuous headland, and is the northernmost part of the island; I called it Cape Young. The above two islands lie very near each other; to the eastward of them lies a small rock, apparently connected, though at no great distance, by a reef; another rock, somewhat larger, is situated between them. They are of no great height, flat top with perpendicular sides, composed entirely of rocks, and much frequented by birds of different kinds. These, which from their resemblance to each other I called the Two Sisters, bear, by compass, from Cape Young N. 50° W. 4 leagues distant. We steered from Cape Young E. by N., keeping between 2 and 3 miles from the coast, with regular soundings from 25 to 22 fathoms. The shore is a continued white sandy beach, on which the surf ran very high. Some high land, rising gradually from the beach, and covered with wood, extends about 4 miles to the eastward of the cape. After passing this land, we opened the several hills over the low land we had seen in the morning, and could discern that many of them were covered like our heaths in England, but destitute of trees. The woods, in some spots, had the appearance of being cleared; and, in several places between the hills, smoke was observed. The beach is interrupted, at unequal distances, by projecting rocky points covered with wood. Over the banks of sand were seen a range of retired hills, at a considerable distance, in the direction of the coast. After sailing about 10 leagues, we came abreast of a small sandy bay. Water was seen over the beach, and the country had the appearance of being very pleasant. With our glasses we perceived some people hauling up a canoe, and several others behind the rocks in the bay. Fearful that so good an opportunity might not occur for acquiring some knowledge of the inhabitants, I worked up into the bay, which we had passed before the natives were discovered. We came to an anchor about a mile from the shore, in 20 fathoms water, sandy and rocky bottom. The eastern point by compass bore N. 78° E.; Cape Young, W. 12° S.; the larboard point of the bay, S.E.; the eastern point, from our anchorage, proved to be the termination of the island, to which I gave the name of Point Munnings."

Capt. Broughton afterwards landed, and took formal possession of the island, in the name of His Britannic Majesty. His description of the interior, too copious for this work, may be found in the voyage of Vancouver and the Gazetteer of Cruttwell. The people were like those of New Zealand. Although unprovoked, they began to assault the captain and his company upon returning to the boat; and a skirmish ensued, in which one of the natives was killed.

From the period of their discovery they had not been settled, or visited, except by the whalers, who came hither to refit, or follow the shore fishery, until 1840, when the purchases of land in New Zealand by the British company having suddenly ceased, in consequence of a proclamation, a vessel, the Cuba, was despatched hither by that company with Mr. Hanson as agent, and Dr. Dieffenbach as naturalist, to purchase the territory of the native chiefs. This, it was stated, was done; and it was resold to a Hamburg merchant for a large advance

on the cost. But as the colonization of this island was not included in the company's charter, the whole proceedings fell to the ground.*

The ensuing account of the Chatham Islands is that given by Dr. Dieffenbach, and the reader will find in the original paper an interesting account of the natives, which must here be limited to a few words :

"The natives of these islands were found by Capt. Broughton to be a cheerful race, full of mirth and laughter, dressed in seal-skins or mats, and courageous enough to resist his landing. The sealers who first visited the island-and I met with some who had been there ten years ago-found the natives numerous and healthy, in number at least 1,200, and they were received by them with a hearty welcome. What a wretched change has taken place in the short interval which has since elapsed!-a change occasioned by the importation of about 800 New Zealanders, brought thither by an European ship in 1830 or 1831. Not 90 of the original natives now survive in the whole group; a few years of slavery and degradation have reduced their numbers, and in a short time every trace of them will be lost, as even the New Zealanders have disdained to intermarry with them! "These original inhabitants call themselves Tuïti; but this name is now scarcely ever heard, as they themselves have adopted the name of Blafello (black fellow), which was kindly bestowed upon them by Europeans, and readily adopted by the New Zealanders. In comparison with the latter, they have indeed a darker sħade of the skin, which is, however, by no means universal, as individuals may be found who are of as light a complexion as the former; and the deeper hue of the Chatham Islanders may be in great measure attributed to their greater exposure and still greater uncleanliness. They are neither so tall, muscular, nor well proportioned as their western neighbours, especially the women and the younger men.' We have no very recent estimate of the number of survivors of these ill-fated people; but their conquerors, with the jealousy and rivalry peculiar to the New Zealanders, were in almost continual warfare with each other, and a portion of them emigrated to the Auckland Islands, and were found there by Mr. Enderby at the commencement of 1850.

The ensuing is extracted from Dr. Dieffenbach's account :-+

The whole group consists of three islands: a large one, called Ware-kauri by the natives, and Chatham Island by its first discoverer; a smaller one, named Rangi-haute, or Pitt's Island; and a third, called Rangatira, or South-east Island. In some charts, or rather sketches, an island is laid down, called Cornwallis Island, but I have been repeatedly assured that no such island exists; and that a rock, called, from its shape, 'The Pyramid,' must have been mistaken for it. There are also, to the N.W., Rangitutahi, or the Two Sisters; to the East, the Forty-fourth Degree Isles; and some reefs, which will be described hereafter.

WARE-KAURI has nearly the form of a horse-shoe, or rather that of an indented square, the four sides of which are directed towards the four points of the compass. On its West side, where ships coming from New Zealand will

See Augsburg Gazette, December 15, 1841; and Times, December 29, 1843.

+ Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. xi., 1841, p. 195, et seq.

generally first make the land, it stretches in a semicircle from S. W. to N.W., so as to form a deep bight (Waitangi or Petre Bay). The land has there an undulating surface of small elevation, and is overreached to the North and N.W. by higher insulated hills, which have either regular pyramidical forms, or are irregular and massive in shape. With the exception of two hillocks at the S.W. point of the island, which the natives name Wakkaaïwa, no hills are visible in that direction; but the land rises gradually from the shore, which is rocky, and clothed with verdure to the water's edge, and at the top of the slope spreads out into a level or undulating surface. On advancing towards the inner part of the bight, a red cliff, or rather bluff, becomes visible, which forms the southern headland of a smaller inlet into the larger bight, the northern head of which is a bluff of the same description. The distance between these two bluffs is by measurement 3 miles; the beach between them is sandy, and bordered by low hills. This inlet has a very regular, semicircular form; and under the southern bluff is the principal harbour, called Waitangi. From the northern bluff the beach becomes again sandy for some miles, and afterwards rocky, which it continues to be to the N.W. point of the island, being indented by four small bays, three of which are close together, the fourth being near to the N.W. point. These bays open to the S.E. by E.; and two of them, though small, are good harbours.

The direct distance, in a straight line from the S.W. to the N.W. point of the island, is 25 miles; measured along the beach the distance is about 40 miles; whence it appears that the bight forms a deep curve.

The northern side of the island runs nearly from West to East, and forms several wide, open bays: to the westward the shore is flat, and the headlands of the bays run out in long, wooded tongues of land. About 10 miles from the N.W. point there is a group of irregular hills, which terminates in a rocky precipice towards the sea, from the foot of which runs out a spit with a level beach. These hills are called Maunga-nuï (the high mountain), although they are of very inconsiderable elevation. This spit forms one termination of an open bay, stretching about 10 miles along the coast. Its eastern boundary is a headland, terminating in a hilly promontory, the sides of which are steep or perpendicular. The shore between them consists generally of sand-hills, which are wooded to a short distance inland, and are either shelving or cut down into cliffs by the action of the waves, so as to show their geological structure. In the middle of this bight, four needle-shaped rocks lie off the shore, from which they are distant about a cable's length. The beach itself consists of a fine sand. On the other side of the headland the shore retreats again, and runs for about 15 miles to the eastward, with a broad beach and low wooded hills. Although the beach is sandy, rocks spread along the shore are left uncovered by the sea at low water: this beach is terminated by a long point, behind which, very near to the N.E. end of the island, there is a small bay, Kaïnga-roa, with an entrance partly obstructed by rocks. Its N.E. end is extremely rocky; and its outermost point is formed by an island, or rather a peninsula, called Wakuru, as the channel which separates it from the main island is dry at low water.

The length of this northern shore is about 48 miles; but of course more when reckoned along the beach, on account of its many curves and indentations.

The coast continues to be rocky on the East side of the island, when it again forms a bay nearly 2 miles long, enclosed by a broad sandy beach and low wooded hills. Rocks, most of them only visible at low water, are everywhere scattered along the shore; and, with easterly winds, a heavy surf and high breakers roll over them for several miles from the land. The southern head of this beach is perfectly rocky, and from thence a long, deep bay extends to the S.E. point of the island. Sand-hills are thrown up along the coast, and stunted shrubs cover them on the weather-side. The S.E. point is formed by a hilly promontory covered with wood. The distance from the N.E. to the S.E. point of the island is upwards of 24 miles in a straight line, and 35 miles along the shore.

The southern shore is abrupt and precipitous; the land on the summit of the cliffs is level, and covered with trees. Small streamlets trickle down the cliffs, and clothe their face with herbage.

Geologically speaking, the Island of Ware-kauri belongs to New Zealand; and this is still farther confirmed by its plants and animals. The whalers say that soundings can be obtained between New Zealand and Chatham Island, a remarkable phenomenon, upon which, however, I shall not enlarge here.

Having thus described the structure of the rocks, which may be considered as the skeleton of the island, I shall describe its uppermost coat, which by many will be deemed far more interesting.

The surface in the northern half of the island is generally undulating, deep, and boggy. In the hollows it is often marshy; but, from its height above the sea, it can everywhere be easily drained. This promises to be highly productive, and equally fit for grain or pasturage. Wherever the superfluous water has been carried off by a natural outlet, a rich vegetation of fern and New Zealand flax (phormium tenax) has sprung up, giving additional firmness to the soil by decayed leaves, and yielding a rich harvest to the native planter. This is particularly the case on the low hills above the sea-shore, which are well wooded, and encircle the island with a verdant zone. Where these hills are sandy, the decayed leaves cast by the trees have formed a light, black soil, which the natives prefer for agriculture. The conical hills, which rest on a volcanic rock, have a very rich soil in their neighbourhood, which is generally covered with a vegetation of fern and trees, agreeably mixed together, and these fertile spots are like so many oases rising from the surrounding bog. On the West side of Wanga-roa Bay, and at other places between Maunga-nuï and Emo-kawa, the soil has been set on fire by some cause or other, and is burning slowly beneath the surface; the temperature, also, although neither flames nor fire are visible, is much raised. “Te ahi kaï kaï te one one" (the fire consumes the earth), say the natives; and, in consequence of this slow combustion, which had begun before the New Zealand colonists settled here, six years ago, and may, indeed, be traced to a much earlier period, the soil in the neighbourhood is gradually sinking. The vegetation at these places is extremely vigorous, though the soil is perfectly dry. A phenomenon like this, of a burning soil, is not unparalleled, as in several places beds of coal, accidentally ignited, have continued to burn slowly for a long series of years this is therefore explicable, without any reference to volcanic agency.