Kumera, or sweet potatoe, (convolvulus batatas) some gourds, and degenerated brassicas. New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia expansa) grows over the districs, but is not used.

Material Medica.—Several trees, plants and shrubs indigenous to New Zealand, and found in Whanganui, are reported by the aborigines to possess curative powers. From my own experience of their properties, I may mention the Hinau (Eleocarpus Hinau) the bark of which is a powerful astringent; the root of the Toe Toe, (Eparis pauciflora) laxative, similar in its operation to aloes, the root of the Phormium tenax, a simple bitter, and in large doses violently purgative; the juice of the Pu tata taua, (a clematis) escharotic, and the berry of the Kahikatea, (Podocarpus excelsus) stimulating and diuretic. The nasturtium aquaticum, anthemis nobilis, agrimonia eupatoria, and some menthe, salvia, althae, and rumices, are to be met with wild. The only medicinals cultivated are Papaver somniferum, Digitalis purpurea, Nicotiana Tabacum, Taraxacum, Ruta graveolens, Cochliaria armoracia, and some mint and sage grown for culinary purposes.

Minerals are not yet known to be either various or abundant. Native iron in a minute state of division is plentiful among the sand hills, and its pyrites and oxyde exist to some extent throughout the district. The mud of swamps is therefore used by the aborigines to strike the black colour on their mats, a decoction of Hinau bark being used as a mordant. Traces of copper and arsenic have been occasionally found, and samples of coal taken from the surface, though not good, were pronounced (after having been employed in the manufacture of several iron implements,) superior to some obtained from Wellington, and said to be Australian. On the upper part of the river are several caverns, with the usual garniture of Stalactytes and Stalagmytes. Most of the cliff near the sea are composed of Testacea and Testaceouse fossils, embedded in a matrix of clay, sand some contain carnelian, sernphax, crystals, and hematites.

Agriculture.—From causes presently to be noticed, the cultivation of the soil has been much retarded. The implements in use among the Europeans are the plough, harrow, and hoe, the aborigines employ the hoe and the spade their ancient tools being now rarely seen. Barley, oats, maize and wheat, are annually raised. The quantity of maize is considerable, that of wheat small owing to the absence of mills.

Roads.—With natural wisdom, the aboriginal population avoiding unnecessary labour have located themselves along the main streams from different points of which passes have been formed to other settlements. The example has been followed by those Europeans who had the opportunity; but internal communication generally, is very defective, and it is to be respected that the settlers do not open up the country in their immediate neighbourhood. A moderate yearly capenses, under proper management, would greatly increase the value of their land, and as draining would be a necessary part of the work, improve their health and longevity.

Intercourse with other districts is maintained by sea and by the coast line, the latter to the westward is decidedly bad for any description of travellers, that to Wellington good for passengers, but the transit of merchandise is effected principally by shipping.

Population.—The aboriginal and European population, following a census for 1850, is, regards the former, taken by order of the Government, is,

Aborigines.........................3,874
Europeans, including military.....593

Total 4,072

By the same returns the number of adult aboriginal males is stated to be 1,289, of adult females 1,109, of boys 399, and of girls 417. The births were 52; deaths 50.

The men are robust, active, but not so capable of continued exertion as Europeans, their complexion when free from Tatou, a light olive, hair, eyebrows, and lashes black, teeth white, even, and closely encircled at the neck by the gums, their average height 5 feet 6 inches. The usual dress is a shirt, over which is thrown a rug or a blanket. The women are rather fairer than the men, their average height 5 feet, when young, good-looking, but not handsome, hair, eyebrows and lashes black, and the teeth perhaps more beautiful than those of the men. The dress is a loose gown of common print or calico, buttoned round the neck, a rug or a blanket being usually added; the native mats formerly so common, are now seldom seen. The garments of children are similar to those of adults, and all travel with bare feet. The clothing rarely or never undergoes the process of washing, except among those more immediately in contact with the settlers, and is a very imperfect protection from the weather. The ornaments in use depend from the ear or neck, and are worn by both sexes, they most usually consist of a piece of green-stone (jade) fashioned into shape and polished, or a shark’s tooth. The custom of smearing the body with oil and red-ochre, formerly much in fashion, is now never seen in the European neighbourhood, but their persons are seldom clean. Tatouing still continues to be practised, and by a similar process the women’s lips are stained blue, and a not unpleasant looking figure sometimes imprinted on the chin. Nearly all the adult females are covered with the cicatrices of wounds, self-inflicted during the days of mourning. The whole population occupies 140 miles of the river banks, from the sea upwards, and is distributed among 34 pas or villages, the principal of which, but not the most populous, is the missionary station of Putiki Warenui. The pas is generally surrounded by a wooden fence, and the houses built, withoutregularity, of a coarse grass, or a rush, they are seldom of larger dimensions than six feet by eight, with only room enough to stand upright when in the middle. The entrance, through which it is just possible to crawl on the hands and knees, is closed at night by a piece of wood, there is no chimney, but the fire is placed on the floor, the smoke escaping through the loose materials of the roof and walls. A mat manufactured from the leaves of the Phormium tenax, or some dried fern thrown on one side of the dwelling, forms the occasional luxury of a bed. The bedding being the garments worn during the day. An attempt at improved architecture is sometimes seen, in a greater height of wall, the addition of a small window, or a door of larger dimensions than ordinary. At Putiki Warenui a regular town has been laid out by order of the Government, many old whgwamas removed, and a few houses of more respectable pretensions substituted, a growing taste for European garnets is also noticed, and several of the young men are never seen out of full costume.

In all the pas are Warre punis (sleeping houses) formed by erecting a low roof over an excavation in the ground, and thickly covering it with earth, a wood fire generally occupies the centre of the floor, and the principle of their construction being to exclude as much as possible the external air, they are very warm and of course very unwholesome. Formerly the chief men only used them, but now all have the entree, the winter evenings are however spent in debate or conversation, and it would be difficult to decide whether those who remain to sleep, or they who retire to their private dwellings, suffer the greatest amount of injury.