ers
exercised by local boards directly under the Governor.

The total area of the three islands is about 105,000 square miles, and
the population, which has been steadily increasing, was in 1865 upwards
of 700,000.

The Maori race is almost entirely confined to the North Island, and,
although it was then gradually dying out, numbered about 30,000. They
are of fine physique, tall and robust, and are said to belong to the
Polynesian type, probably having come over from the Fiji Islands, or
some of the Pacific group, in their canoes.

When first discovered they lived in villages or "Pahs," comprising a
number of small circular huts, with a larger one for the Chief,
mud-walled and thatched with grass or flax. The pahs usually occupied a
commanding position, and were fenced round with one or more palisades of
rough timber.

The Maori dress consisted of a simple robe made of woven flax, an
indigenous plant growing in profusion over most of the country. They
practised to a large extent the custom of tattooing their faces and
bodies, and further decorated themselves with ear-rings of greenstone,
bone, etc.

Owing to subsequent education and intercourse with Europeans, their
savage habits have now mostly given way to modern customs.

In 1860 commenced the disastrous Taranaki war, which lasted some years,
and was caused in the first instance by the encroachment of European
settlers on the lands originally granted exclusively to the Aborigines.
Since the settlement of this trouble, peace and prosperity have reigned,
and the Maoris have become an important item in the community, many of
them holding positions of trust and office under the Colonial
Government.

The Province of Canterbury, forming the central portion of the middle
island, was founded about 1845 by the Irishmen Godley, Harman, and
others; and the English Church, under Bishop Harpur, was established at
Christchurch, the capital of the Province.

Otago, in the south, was founded by the Scotch, and the free church
established at Dunedin. The Province of Nelson formed the upper or
northern portion of the Island.

It is to these three Provinces that the scenes of the following pages
refer.

* * * * *

It has been said that the true and unvarnished history of any person's
life, no matter how commonplace, would be interesting. It was not
because I thought that a history of any part of my life would prove
interesting to others, t