But The Dream Of Pleasure, And The Hopes Of Much
Additional Science, Were Not Of Very Long Duration.
The necessary
occupations of the different artificers, soon involved the people in
very embarrassing intricacies and much bodily labour, occasioned by
the prodigious variety and numbers of climbers, briars, shrubs, and
ferns, interwoven through the forests, and almost totally precluding
access to the interior of the country.
From the appearance of these
impediments, and the quantity of rotten trees which had been either
felled by the winds, or brought low from age, it is conjectured, and
plausibly enough, that the forests in the southern parts of New
Zealand had escaped the hand of human industry since the origin of
their existence. But nature, we may often see, is prodigal of life,
and in the very act of dissolving one generation, seems to rejoice in
providing for another that is to succeed it. Thus, we are told, there
sprouted out young trees from the rich mould, to which the old ones
were at last reduced. A deceitful bark, it is added, sometimes still
covered the interior rotten substance, in which a person attempting to
step on it, might sink to the waist. Such were the common
disappointments in this Utopia. The naturalists had to add to them,
the appropriate mortification of seeing numerous trees and shrubs, of
which, as the time of flowering was past, it was impossible to make
any scientific examination, and which, accordingly, only tantalized
them with the idea of the profusion of new vegetables in this
interesting country. A short residence here, especially during wet
gloomy weather, proved that all was not so perfect in this climate as
had been fondly imagined. The land about Dusky Bay, and indeed
throughout most of the southern extremity of this island, was found to
consist of steep rocky mountains, with craggy precipices, either clad
with impenetrable forests, or quite barren, and covered with snow on
the tops. No meadows or lawns were to be seen, and the only spot of
flat land that was found, presented so much wood and briars as to be
useless for either garden ground or pasture, without very considerable
toil. This heartless description is somewhat relieved by a glowing
picture of the scenery about what was called Cascade Cove, which seems
to have arrested the attention of Mr F., and which, he says, could
only have justice done it by the very successful pencil of Mr Hodges.
The soil here was found to be quite like to what had elsewhere been
found, and the rocks and stones consisted of granite, moor-stone, and
brown talcous clay-stone. In one of the excursions to the country, it
was observed, that as they receded from the sea, the mountains became
much higher, and were more steep and barren, and that the trees
dwindled in size, so as to resemble shrubs, circumstances rather the
reverse of what is usually noticed in other countries. The climate of
Dusky Bay is spoken unfavourably of, as its greatest inconvenience,
and to this must be added its being deficient in celery, scurvy-grass,
and other antiscorbutics. But with all its defects, Mr G.F. admits,
that Dusky Bay is one of the finest places in New Zealand, for a crew
to touch at in such a situation as that of his companions. The land
about Cape Traveller appeared low and sandy near the shore, but rising
into high snow-capt mountains interiorly. In one respect, according to
this gentleman, Queen Charlotte's Sound has greatly the advantage of
Dusky Bay, viz. its abounding in salutary vegetables. This it no doubt
owes to the superior mildness of the climate, which is represented as
highly favourable to botanical pursuits. The tea-tree and spruce, as
they were called, were found here in great plenty, as well as at Dusky
Bay; besides several species of plants in flower, which had not been
seen before. The hills consisted chiefly of argillaceous stone,
running in oblique strata, commonly dipping a little towards the
south, of a greenish-grey, or bluish, or yellowish-brown colour,
sometimes containing veins of white quartz, and sometimes a green
talcous or nephritic stone, which, as it was capable of a good polish
from its hardness, the natives used for chissels, &c. Mr F. specifies
several other mineral substances found in this neighbourhood,
particularly argillaceous strata of a rusty colour, which is inferred
to contain iron, and a black compact and ponderous basalt, of which
the natives form their pattoo-pattoos. It is unnecessary to make
remarks on the subjects now mentioned, as they must be resumed in our
account of Cook's third voyage, where we shall have to consider Mr
Anderson's report respecting them and other topics, with greater
attention, than was required for the present imperfect though valuable
notices. - E.
SECTION IX.
Route from New Zealand to Otaheite, with an Account of some low Islands,
supposed to be the same that were seen by M. de Bougainville.
On the 7th of June, at four in the morning, the wind being more favourable,
we unmoored, and at seven weighed and put to sea, with the Adventure in
company. We had no sooner got out of the sound, than we found the wind at
south, so that we had to ply through the straits. About noon the tide of
ebb setting out in our favour, made our boards advantageous; so that, at
five o'clock in the evening. Cape Palliser, on the island of Eahei-nomauwe,
bore S.S E. 1/2 S., and Cape Koamaroo, or the S.E. point of the sound, N by
W. 3/4 W.; presently after it fell calm, and the tide of flood now making
against us, carried us at a great rate back to the north. A little before
high-water, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the north, which soon
increased to a brisk gale. This, together with the ebb, carried us by eight
o'clock the next morning quite through the strait.
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