Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-06-29
From tho indianapolis Journal.
New Zealand.


This is a hot day to speak about a tropical coun-
try, but when persons and places force themselves
upon notice, cannot ignore them. A brief
news-clipping tells US that extensive gold fields
have been discovered oi the coast of New Zeal
and;'' and the London correspondent of the New
York Times sayS
The war in New Zealand goes on with increas-
cd ferocity, Genera. Cameron acting on the defcn.
sive. The last feat of these petted Maories to
eat an English mss;ouary-incited thereto, as Mr..
Whalley firmly believes, by the JeSuits, who are
supposed TO side with the natives, and who escape
being eaten. The missionary said his prayers. and
submitted firmly to his martyrdom, after which he
was eaten up the last morse, beginning with his
eyes aud his brains. As most of the New Zealand
missionaries have been eager land spectators,
and have done as much at least any other class
to bring on the present difficulties, there may be
something of retribution in this martyrdom.''
These two items, so different in their natures,
cause US TO turn and look away over the waters to
that larthest nook of the earth, New Zealand. 1t
is very difficult judge correctly OF the size of the
country from its appearance on the mp. This is
especially the with the gem OF the South Pa
cific of which we are writing. With only casu-
al glance, one would think that New Zealand
would scarcely occupy an appreciablc spIce in our
great ivkcs; yet in reality, 1t Is as large the pc
nnsula of Italy. There are three islands compo
sing the country known nnder this name, the most
northerly of which is five hundred miles in length
and from five to three hundred in breadth. Mid
die island is larger still, while South island is tri
angular area measuring about thirty miles Oh each
side.
New Zealand, in some respects, Is an earthly
Paradise Its climlte is equable, its scenery is
charming in variety, and its soil is characterised by
great fertility. liza man were to weary of the
striving, busy world. no where would he find such
/ Il pleasant Arcadian seclusOn as in New Zealand.
] II r
! Islands, painted by the lamcnted Catherwood. 1t
looked as we thought Eden must have appeared to
the first Adam; and it is exponcntal of the lowell
ness OF the landscapes of the whole group. The
interior of the trio of islands lifts into mountains
with here and thcrea smoke plume from peak
Indicating volcano. Down the declivites cas-
cades tumble to unite in rivers, which wind through
| and water the valleys and plains before losing
| themselves in the sea.
In the north and middle Islands there are extca-
sive lakes The water OF one of these is hot,
while that of another is delicate green in color,
and is trimmed around with stone like emerald
Around these lakes are grand aud beautiful gcy-
sers. The water from these on cooling i.crusts
every thing with which it comes in contact, and
birds thrown into il are brought out like pieces OF
flint.
Among the trees and plants Of New Zealand
there scarcely any annuis, consequently sum
mcr seems To rel gu the year round Indeed the
want of break and variety in the seasons is glowing
| 10 one accustomed to the budding OF spring the
leaf fading OF autumn and the and ice of
| winter Over five hundred species of lowering
plants make the islands lovely, while immense for
ests of lofty bearing trees, give them ele-
ment of grandeur. Among these is the kaaTi pine.
which can boast girth of forty feet and shoots up
20 a vast height before it puts out a branch Its
stem is used for mists, while from its bark exudes
a precious gum. Then there is the fotura, anoth-
er arbonea monster, also the puriri and the arcc1
s'pida, the former staunch teak tree and the lat
er Il graceful palm. Wild fl TX grows everywhere,
and from it the natives mike almost every thing.
| There were but two quadrupeds native to New
Zealand at the time of its discovery by the civili-
zed wOrld-these were the rat and the doy. But
the inhabitants ate up the latter while the Norway
! rat exterminated the former. New Zealand has
many species of birds. These are not brilliant, rs
are those of the forests of Brazil, but they make
up in noise that which they like in colorins. Par
rots chatter and scream among the pine cones,
hawks poise an J wheel above wood and lake; while
n solitary species of owl gljomiy calls the night
through for "more pork! more pork!' Honey
suckers and bell birds chime out their notes the
live long day while the kaka noiselessly announces
the hour for rising, and the kakapo m kes the night
hidcous with its din. The most curious ornitho-
logical specimen is the ritcis, great tailIess,
winglcss, slianshai-looking fowl, which affects
nocturnal shades, and burrows in the ground
1t seems if st. Patrick had visited New Zeal
and; for. throughout its borders neither snakes
ror toads can be found But few species of the
harmless bright eyed lizirds fash across the path
way of the traveller; the natives dread and flee
from these, because they suppose them to be pos
sessed of the spirits of their ancestors. Fish swarm
around the shores, and run up the rivers, while
eels as large as good sized sapiings breed in and
squirm about some of the streams and Lakes. In.
sects take little of the edge off from this PIrId Sc
RI =. Il. 4 II
shrubs, and swing and dangle from the trees.
Mosquitoes rivdng those bred in our own South
ern swamps, in sharpness of bill blood thirstiness
of disposition, busle and cousin about the ears OF
the wayfarcr.
The original inhabitants of New Zealand arc oil
the Malay race, and are supposed 70 have drifted
long ago from the Navigators islands. The men
are tall well-tormed. grave, proud, hOSpitabe and
revengeful. The women are beautiful when
young, but, like all savage and tropical females
they grow hag-like as they advance in years
Both sexes tattoo themselves into ugliness, and
manage to extract from Cat gut and drum heads
music more horrid than African incubation, OF
4 Chinese concert. They worship no idols, but
pray and sacrifice to sundry unseen spiritual beings
Previous TO the introduction Of Christianity, the
tribal divisions were everastinsly thrusting each
other through with palm wood sspears, and knock
ing out one a1others brains with clubs and stone
hammers. They varied these amusements with
cannibal feasts, and though for years they have
professed to be weaned from man meat, we would
judge from the extract given at the beginning oi
this article that the Maories still love flesh their
teeth in broiled babies and baked missionaries.
New Zealand was first discovered in 1862 by
Tasman, the Dutch navigator. A century later
Captain Cook landed OH one of its islands, and
took possession Of it for the crown OF England
From that time on the group was occasionally visit.
ed by whale ships: but not until the present cen
tury did it become permanent colony of Great
Britain. The three islands are now relatively
well settled, with superior class of inhabitants
The natives, though now at war with the colonsts
have abjured paganism thrown aside their rude
weapons for firearms, aud are comparatively vel
educated.
The war in New Zealand is to US nothing NOR
than ''tempest in a ten pot;" but this discovery
OF gold in that scenicy speaking, terrestrial Para
disc. is Of deeper interest Gold settled Calafornis
and Australia; and now, if the deposits of thi:
glittering considerable in this land Of the
Maories, New Zealand will be rapidly developed.
lfany man has a sour nature, and needs beautiful
scenery to sweeten him, let him go to New Zealand
II any one is an invalid, and desires an even eli
mate-he can find il in these islands. In short
we advise all who would love to raise sheep ant
fax, and fght the Maories, and dig gold, to SC
sail without delay for New Zealand
PIANO For SALE.-h first class Piano for sail
on reasonable terms. A credit of six months will