Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-13

exported. The fiber looks somewhat
Ike Philippine hemp.
LAND WHICH GROWS TURPEN-
TINE.
Have you ever heard Of kauri gum?
II Is a s0lidiiied turpentine or resin
which is found In great chunks on the
top of the ground and below the sur
face IN the northern island Of New zea-
land. The Jumps are from the size Of a
walnut to that Of mans head, and
slngle pieces have been found weighing
as much as one hundred pounds. This
gum Is often as clear as amber, varying
greatly In color. Sometimes IL Is rich
yellow sometimes brown and sOme-
times just the color Of champagne. 1t
Is used as a substitute for amber in
cigar holders and pipes, but the most Of
IL IL sold TO the manufacturers OF var
nish. II Is by no means 4 cheap article
and the annual exports Of It amount to
several millions Of dollars In 1898 not
quite ten thousand tons were exported,
the total value Of which was in the
neighborhood Of SSQQl.90O. Altogether
since 1858 more than Sij 600 900 worth Of
this gum has been gotten out, amount
ing in all to about 100000 tons.
AMONG THE GUM DIGGERs.
There are now about seven thousand
men going over the country with spears
and picks looking for this gum. They
drive their spears down into the earth
and when they find piece dig 1t out,
The gum lies within a limited area. It
Is mined on about 100000 acres north
Of Auckland City and south and east
of Auckland on about 10000 acres more.
Part Of this Is government land, upon
which the right to dig the gum Is sold
at from S. TO S3j per annum. Other
parts are private property.
Many of the gum diggers are Aus
TRANS, some Maoris and some English
Australians. They go out into the gum
fields and camp in groups Of twenty
or thirty Many of them work for
themselves, some making as much as
S25 a week at II. There are men in
the cities who deal in nothing else the
kauri gum exporters being among the
chief business men of Auckland.
This gum comes from the kauri pine,
a tree which is often 100 feet high and
twelve feet thick. The kauri Is about
the best timber Of New Zealand
and It is largely used In building and
furniture making The gum is the
remains OF the great forests of the
past which have rotted away, leaving
this imperishable resin. Some Of the
trees are barked for their gum like our
turpentine trees of the Southern States
The most, however, still comes from
the deposits In the swamps.
AMONG THE MAORIS,
It is wonderful how few Maoris you
see in travelling through New Zealand.
The aboriginal New Zealander is fast
passing away. There are now about
10000 left They are scattered over the
country in colonies, having their own
reservations and their own villages.
They are represented in parliament by
four members and they are largely
governed by their chiefs, although sub
ject to the laws of the country / saw
many of them in the North Island,
The better class dress in European
clothes, both men and women affecting
bright colors
The men have magnificent physiques.
They are big, broadshouldered, heavy
weights, with strong necks, big hands
and big feet. They have chocolate
brown compilations, high cheek bones
with noses more like those Of the Anglo
Saxon than the American Indian. Near
" all OF the men speak English. They
are inoffenslye, and even when drunk
do not raise as much trouble as our
American aborigines.
THE MAORI WOMEN.
rather like the Maori women. They
are not especially good looking, but
they seem well disposed, genial and
pleasant. Some of the younger ones
are almost beautiful At least, they
would be were II not for their custom
OF tattooing cashmere shawl patterns
on their chlns and lips. The tattoolng
turns the cherry red of their lips to the
blackness Of ink. In fact | would as
soon think OF kissing an ink bottle as
one of these tattooed Maori maidens.
And, still, II you keep your eyes well
raised the experience might be worth
the trial Many Of them have rosy
compilations. They have luxuriant hair,
heavy eyebrows and beautiful eyes,
LIQUID black and full of soul. Some OF
them are clean, and nearly all are In
telligent Their beauty, however, van
shes with years. They age rapidly,
until their faces look like withered APP
pies, punctured with ink spots.
THE LAND OF THE TATTOO.
The Maoris understand the science Of