LateintheeveningIwenttoMr。Williams’shouse，whereIpassedthenight。Ifoundtherealargepartyofchildren，collectedtogetherforChristmasDay，andallsittingroundatableattea。Ineversawanicerormoremerrygroup；andtothinkthatthiswasinthecentreofthelandofcannibalism，murder，andallatrociouscrimes！Thecordialityandhappinesssoplainlypicturedinthefacesofthelittlecircle，appearedequallyfeltbytheolderpersonsofthemission。
　　December24th——Inthemorning，prayerswerereadinthenativetonguetothewholefamily。AfterbreakfastIrambledaboutthegardensandfarm。
　　Thiswasamarket-day，whenthenativesofthesurroundinghamletsbringtheirpotatoes，Indiancorn，orpigs，toexchangeforblankets，tobacco，andsometimes，throughthepersuasionsofthemissionaries，forsoap。Mr。
　　Davies’seldestson，whomanagesafarmofhisown，isthemanofbusinessinthemarket。Thechildrenofthemissionaries，whocamewhileyoungtotheisland，understandthelanguagebetterthantheirparents，andcangetanythingmorereadilydonebythenatives。
　　AlittlebeforenoonMessrs。WilliamsandDavieswalkedwithmetoapartofaneighbouringforest，toshowmethefamouskauripine。Imeasuredoneofthenobletrees，andfounditthirty-onefeetincircumferenceabovetheroots。Therewasanothercloseby，whichIdidnotsee，thirty-threefeet；andIheardofonenolessthanfortyfeet。Thesetreesareremarkablefortheirsmoothcylindricalboles，whichrunuptoaheightofsixty，andevenninetyfeet，withanearlyequaldiameter，andwithoutasinglebranch。Thecrownofbranchesatthesummitisoutofallproportionsmalltothetrunk；andtheleavesarelikewisesmallcomparedwiththebranches。
　　Theforestwasherealmostcomposedofthekauri；andthelargesttrees，fromtheparallelismoftheirsides，stooduplikegiganticcolumnsofwood。Thetimberofthekauriisthemostvaluableproductionoftheisland；
　　moreover，aquantityofresinoozesfromthebark，whichissoldatapennyapoundtotheAmericans，butitsusewasthenunknown。SomeoftheNewZealandforestmustbeimpenetrabletoanextraordinarydegree。Mr。Matthewsinformedmethatoneforestonlythirty-fourmilesinwidth，andseparatingtwoinhabiteddistricts，hadonlylately，forthefirsttime，beencrossed。
　　Heandanothermissionary，eachwithapartyofaboutfiftymen，undertooktoopenaroad，butitcostmorethanafortnight’slabour！InthewoodsIsawveryfewbirds。Withregardtoanimals，itisamostremarkablefact，thatsolargeanisland，extendingovermorethan700milesinlatitude，andinmanypartsninetybroad，withvariedstations，afineclimate，andlandofallheights，from14，000feetdownwards，withtheexceptionofasmallrat，didnotpossessoneindigenousanimal。Theseveralspeciesofthatgiganticgenusofbirds，theDeinornisseemheretohavereplacedmammiferousquadrupeds，inthesamemannerasthereptilesstilldoattheGalapagosarchipelago。ItissaidthatthecommonNorwayrat，intheshortspaceoftwoyears，annihilatedinthisnorthernendoftheisland，theNewZealandspecies。InmanyplacesInoticedseveralsortsofweeds，which，liketherats，Iwasforcedtoownascountrymen。Aleekhasoverrunwholedistricts，andwillproveverytroublesome，butitwasimportedasafavourbyaFrenchvessel。Thecommondockisalsowidelydisseminated，andwill，Ifear，foreverremainaproofoftherascalityofanEnglishman，whosoldtheseedsforthoseofthetobaccoplant。
　　Onreturningfromourpleasantwalktothehouse，IdinedwithMr。Williams；
　　andthen，ahorsebeinglentme，IreturnedtotheBayofIslands。Itookleaveofthemissionarieswiththankfulnessfortheirkindwelcome，andwithfeelingsofhighrespectfortheirgentlemanlike，useful，anduprightcharacters。Ithinkitwouldbedifficulttofindabodyofmenbetteradaptedforthehighofficewhichtheyfulfil。
　　ChristmasDay——InafewmoredaysthefourthyearofourabsencefromEnglandwillbecompleted。OurfirstChristmasDaywasspentatPlymouth，thesecondatSt。Martin’sCove，nearCapeHorn；thethirdatPortDesire，inPatagonia；thefourthatanchorinawildharbourinthepeninsulaofTresMontes，thisfifthhere，andthenext，ItrustinProvidence，willbeinEngland。WeattendeddivineserviceinthechapelofPahia；partoftheservicebeingreadinEnglish，andpartinthenativelanguage。
　　WhilstatNewZealandwedidnothearofanyrecentactsofcannibalism；
　　butMr。Stokesfoundburnthumanbonesstrewedroundafire-placeonasmallislandneartheanchorage；buttheseremainsofacomfortablebanquetmighthavebeenlyingthereforseveralyears。Itisprobablethatthemoralstateofthepeoplewillrapidlyimprove。Mr。Bushbymentionedonepleasinganecdoteasaproofofthesincerityofsome，atleast，ofthosewhoprofessChristianity。Oneofhisyoungmenlefthim，whohadbeenaccustomedtoreadprayerstotherestoftheservants。Someweeksafterwards，happeningtopasslateintheeveningbyanouthouse，hesawandheardoneofhismenreadingtheBiblewithdifficultybythelightofthefire，totheothers。Afterthisthepartykneltandprayed：intheirprayerstheymentionedMr。Bushbyandhisfamily，andthemissionaries，eachseparatelyinhisrespectivedistrict。
　　December26th——Mr。BushbyofferedtotakeMr。SulivanandmyselfinhisboatsomemilesuptherivertoCawa-Cawa，andproposedafterwardstowalkontothevillageofWaiomio，wheretherearesomecuriousrocks。
　　Followingoneofthearmsofthebay，weenjoyedapleasantrow，andpassedthroughprettyscenery，untilwecametoavillage，beyondwhichtheboatcouldnotpass。FromthisplaceachiefandapartyofmenvolunteeredtowalkwithustoWaiomio，adistanceoffourmiles。Thechiefwasatthistimerathernotoriousfromhavinglatelyhungoneofhiswivesandaslaveforadultery。Whenoneofthemissionariesremonstratedwithhimheseemedsurprised，andsaidhethoughthewasexactlyfollowingtheEnglishmethod。OldShongi，whohappenedtobeinEnglandduringtheQueen’strial，expressedgreatdisapprobationatthewholeproceeding：hesaidhehadfivewives，andhewouldrathercutoffalltheirheadsthanbesomuchtroubledaboutone。Leavingthisvillage，wecrossedovertoanother，seatedonahill-sideatalittledistance。Thedaughterofachief，whowasstillaheathen，haddiedtherefivedaysbefore。Thehovelinwhichshehadexpiredhadbeenburnttotheground：herbodybeingenclosedbetweentwosmallcanoes，wasplaceduprightontheground，andprotectedbyanenclosurebearingwoodenimagesoftheirgods，andthewholewaspaintedbrightred，soastobeconspicuousfromafar。Hergownwasfastenedtothecoffin，andherhairbeingcutoffwascastatitsfoot。Therelativesofthefamilyhadtornthefleshoftheirarms，bodies，andfaces，sothattheywerecoveredwithclottedblood；andtheoldwomenlookedmostfilthy，disgustingobjects。Onthefollowingdaysomeoftheofficersvisitedthisplace，andfoundthewomenstillhowlingandcuttingthemselves。
　　Wecontinuedourwalk，andsoonreachedWaiomio。Heretherearesomesingularmassesoflimestone，resemblingruinedcastles。Theserockshavelongservedforburialplaces，andinconsequenceareheldtoosacredtobeapproached。Oneoftheyoungmen，however，criedout，“Letusallbebrave。”andranonahead；butwhenwithinahundredyards，thewholepartythoughtbetterofit，andstoppedshort。Withperfectindifference，however，theyallowedustoexaminethewholeplace。Atthisvillagewerestedsomehours，duringwhichtimetherewasalongdiscussionwithMr。Bushby，concerningtherightofsaleofcertainlands。Oneoldman，whoappearedaperfectgenealogist，illustratedthesuccessivepossessorsbybitsofstickdrivenintotheground。Beforeleavingthehousesalittlebasketfulofroastedsweetpotatoeswasgiventoeachofourparty；andweall，accordingtothecustom，carriedthemawaytoeatontheroad。Inoticedthatamongthewomenemployedincooking，therewasaman-slave：itmustbeahumiliatingthingforamaninthiswarlikecountrytobeemployedindoingthatwhichisconsideredasthelowestwoman’swork。Slavesarenotallowedtogotowar；butthisperhapscanhardlybeconsideredasahardship。Iheardofonepoorwretchwho，duringhostilities，ranawaytotheoppositeparty；
　　beingmetbytwomen，hewasimmediatelyseized；butastheycouldnotagreetowhomheshouldbelong，eachstoodoverhimwithastonehatchet，andseemeddeterminedthattheotheratleastshouldnottakehimawayalive。Thepoorman，almostdeadwithfright，wasonlysavedbytheaddressofachief’swife。Weafterwardsenjoyedapleasantwalkbacktotheboat，butdidnotreachtheshiptilllateintheevening。
　　December30th——IntheafternoonwestoodoutoftheBayofIslands，onourcoursetoSydney。IbelievewewereallgladtoleaveNewZealand。
　　Itisnotapleasantplace。AmongstthenativesthereisabsentthatcharmingsimplicitywhichisfoundinTahiti；andthegreaterpartoftheEnglisharetheveryrefuseofsociety。Neitheristhecountryitselfattractive。
　　Ilookbackbuttoonebrightspot，andthatisWaimate，withitsChristianinhabitants。PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter19TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterNextChapterChapter19-AustraliaJANUARY12th，1836——EarlyinthemorningalightaircarriedustowardstheentranceofPortJackson。Insteadofbeholdingaverdantcountry，interspersedwithfinehouses，astraightlineofyellowishcliffbroughttoourmindsthecoastofPatagonia。Asolitarylighthouse，builtofwhitestone，alonetoldusthatwewerenearagreatandpopulouscity。Havingenteredtheharbour，itappearsfineandspacious，withcliff-formedshoresofhorizontallystratifiedsandstone。Thenearlylevelcountryiscoveredwiththinscrubbytrees，bespeakingthecurseofsterility。Proceedingfurtherinland，thecountryimproves：beautifulvillasandnicecottagesarehereandtherescatteredalongthebeach。Inthedistancestonehouses，twoandthreestorieshigh，andwindmillsstandingontheedgeofabank，pointedouttoustheneighbourhoodofthecapitalofAustralia。
　　AtlastweanchoredwithinSydneyCove。Wefoundthelittlebasinoccupiedbymanylargeships，andsurroundedbywarehouses。IntheeveningIwalkedthroughthetown，andreturnedfullofadmirationatthewholescene。ItisamostmagnificenttestimonytothepoweroftheBritishnation。Here，inalesspromisingcountry，scoresofyearshavedonemanymoretimesmorethananequalnumberofcenturieshaveeffectedinSouthAmerica。
　　MyfirstfeelingwastocongratulatemyselfthatIwasbornanEnglishman。
　　Uponseeingmoreofthetownafterwards，perhapsmyadmirationfellalittle；
　　butyetitisafinetown。Thestreetsareregular，broad，clean，andkeptinexcellentorder；thehousesareofagoodsize，andtheshopswellfurnished。
　　ItmaybefaithfullycomparedtothelargesuburbswhichstretchoutfromLondonandafewothergreattownsinEngland；butnotevennearLondonorBirminghamisthereanappearanceofsuchrapidgrowth。Thenumberoflargehousesandotherbuildingsjustfinishedwastrulysurprising；nevertheless，everyonecomplainedofthehighrentsanddifficultyinprocuringahouse。
　　ComingfromSouthAmerica，whereinthetownseverymanofpropertyisknown，noonethingsurprisedmemorethannotbeingabletoascertainatoncetowhomthisorthatcarriagebelonged。
　　IhiredamanandtwohorsestotakemetoBathurst，avillageaboutonehundredandtwentymilesintheinterior，andthecentreofagreatpastoraldistrict。BythismeansIhopedtogainageneralideaoftheappearanceofthecountry。Onthemorningofthe16thJanuaryIsetoutonmyexcursion。ThefirststagetookustoParamatta，asmallcountrytown，nexttoSydneyinimportance。Theroadswereexcellent，andmadeupontheMacAdamprinciple，whinstonehavingbeenbroughtforthepurposefromthedistanceofseveralmiles。InallrespectstherewasacloseresemblancetoEngland：perhapsthealehouseshereweremorenumerous。Theirongangs，orpartiesofconvictswhohavecommittedheresomeoffense，appearedtheleastlikeEngland：theywereworkinginchains，underthechargeofsentrieswithloadedarms。
　　Thepowerwhichthegovernmentpossesses，bymeansofforcedlabour，ofatonceopeninggoodroadsthroughoutthecountry，hasbeen，Ibelieve，onemaincauseoftheearlyprosperityofthiscolony。IsleptatnightataverycomfortableinnatEmuferry，thirty-fivemilesfromSydney，andneartheascentoftheBlueMountains。Thislineofroadisthemostfrequented，andhasbeenthelongestinhabitedofanyinthecolony。Thewholelandisenclosedwithhighrailings，forthefarmershavenotsucceededinrearinghedges。Therearemanysubstantialhousesandgoodcottagesscatteredabout；butalthoughconsiderablepiecesoflandareundercultivation，thegreaterpartyetremainsaswhenfirstdiscovered。