This page has already been transcribed. You can find new pages to transcribe here.

Transcription

[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

 

Current Status: 
Completed