State Library of NSW
[Page 196]
192 Some account of New Zealand
upon the open fire untill they are thouroughly hot & the bark of them burnt to a coal they are then beat with a wooden hammer over a stone which causes all the bark to fly off & leaves the inside consisting of a small proportion of a glutinous pulp mixt with many fibres which they generaly spit out after having suckd each mouthfull a long time Strange & unheard of as it must appear to an Europaean to draw nourishment from a class of Plant which in Europe no animal herly even insects will taste I am much inclind to think that it affords a nourishing & wholesome diet theese people eat but little & this is the foundation of their meals all summer at least from the time that their roots are planted till the season for digging them up among them I have seen many very healthy old men & in general the whole of them are as vigorous a race as can be imagind
to the Southward where little or nothing are is planted Fern roots & fish must serve them all the Year here therefore we saw that they had made vast piles of Both especialy the latter which were dryd in the sun very well I suppose meant for winter stock when possibly Fish is not so plentifull or the trouble of catching it greater than in Winter
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