Austral English Part 137

1835. W. Yate, `True Account of New Zealand,' p. 37:

"As a shrub, and during its youthful days, the kauri is not very graceful ... but when it comes to years of maturity, it stands unrivalled for majesty and beauty."

1852. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes' (edition 1855), p. 285:

"The kauri (Dammera [sic] Australis) is coniferous, resinous, and has an elongated box-like leaf."

1860. G. Bennett, `Gatherings of a Naturalist,' p. 349:

"When Captain Cook visited New Zealand (nearly a century after the discovery of the Dammara of Amboyna), he saw, upon the east coast of the Northern Island, a tree, called by the natives Kowrie; it was found to be a second species of Dammara, and was named D. australis."

1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 140:

"The Kauri-pine is justly styled the Queen of the New Zealand forest ... the celebrated and beautiful Kauri."

1874. W. M. B., `Narrative of Edward Crewe,' p. 169:

"The kauri is the only cone-bearing pine in New Zealand. The wood is of a yellow colour, wonderfully free from knots, and harder than the red-pine of the Baltic. Beautifully mottled logs are sometimes met with, and are frequently made up into furniture."

1875. T. Laslett, `Timber and Timber Trees,' p. 295:

"The Kaurie or Cowdie-Pine (Dammara Australis) is a native of and is found only in New Zealand... . A tall and very handsome tree with a slightly tapering stem... . For masts, yards, etc., is unrivalled in excellence, as it not only possesses the requisite dimensions, lightness, elasticity, and strength, but is much more durable than any other Pine." [The whole of chap. 37 is devoted to this tree.]

1883. F. S. Renwick, `Betrayed,' p. 47:

"As some tall kauri soars in lonely pride, So proudly Hira stood."

1886. J. A. Froude, `Oceans,' p. 318:

"Only the majestic Kauri tolerated no approaches to his dignity. Under his branches all was bare and brown."

1889. T. Kirk, `Forest Flora of New Zealand,' p. 143:

"The Native name `Kauri' is the only common name in general use. When the timber was first introduced into Britain it was termed `cowrie' or `kowdie-pine'; but the name speedily fell into disuse, although it still appears as the common name in some horticultural works."

1890. Brett, `Early History of New Zealand,' p. 115:

"`The Hunter' and `Fancy' loaded spars for Bengal at the Thames in 1798." ... "These two Indian vessels in the Thames were probably the earliest European ships that loaded with New Zealand Timber, and probably mark the commencement of the export Kauri trade."

Kauri-gum, n. the resin which exudes from the Kauri (q.v.), used in making varnish.

1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 140:

"In the year 1859 the amount of timber exportation from the Province of Auckland was L 34,376; that of kauri-gum exported L 20,776."

1874. G. Walch, `Head over Heels,' p. 15:

"He paid his pa.s.sage with kauri-gum."

1893. `Murray's Handbook to New Zealand,' p. 62:

"The industry which will most interest the tourist is the Kauri-gum... . The resin or gum which they [the Kauri-trees]

contained fell into the ground as the trees died, and (not being soluble in water) has remained there ever since. Men go about with spears which they drive into the ground, and if they find small pieces of gum sticking to the end of the spear, they commence digging, and are often rewarded by coming on large lumps of gum."

Kava, n. The word is Tongan for--

(1) An ornamental shrub, Piper methystic.u.m, Miq.; also Macropiper latifolium, Miq. See Kawa-kawa.

(2) A narcotic and stimulant beverage, prepared from the root of this plant, which used to be chewed by the natives of Fiji, who ejected the saliva into a Kava bowl, added water and awaited fermentation. The final stage of the manufacture was accompanied by a religious ceremonial of chanting. The manufacture is now conducted in a cleaner way. Kava produces an intoxication, specially affecting the legs.

1858. Rev. T. Williams, `Fiji and the Fijians,' vol. i.

p. 141:

"Like the inhabitants of the groups eastward, the Fijians drink an infusion of the Piper methystic.u.m, generally called Ava or Kava--its name in the Tongan and other languages. Some old men a.s.sert that the true Fijian mode of preparing the root is by grating, as is still the practice in two or three places; but in this degenerate age the Tongan custom of chewing is almost universal, the operation nearly always being performed by young men. More form attends the use of this narcotic on Somosomo than elsewhere. Early in the morning the king's herald stands in front of the royal abode, and shouts at the top of his voice, `Yagona!' Hereupon all within hearing respond in a sort of scream, `Mama!'--`Chew it!' At this signal the chiefs, priests, and leading men gather round the well-known bowl, and talk over public affairs, or state the work a.s.signed for the day, while their favourite draught is being prepared. When the young men have finished the chewing, each deposits his portion in the form of a round dry ball in the bowl, the inside of which thus becomes studded over with a large number of these separate little ma.s.ses. The man who has to make the grog takes the bowl by the edge and tilts it towards the king, or, in his absence, to the chief appointed to preside. A herald calls the king's attention to the slanting bowl, saying, `Sir, with respects, the yagona is collected.' If the king thinks it enough, he replies, in a low tone, `Loba'--`Wring it--an order which the herald communicates to the man at the bowl in a louder voice. The water is then called for and gradually poured in, a little at first, and then more, until the bowl is full or the master of the ceremonies says, `Stop!' the operator in the meantime gathering up and compressing the chewed root."

1888. H. S. Cooper, `The Islands of the Pacific,' p. 102:

"Kava is the name given to a liquor produced by chewing the root of a shrub called angona, and the ceremonious part of the preparation consists in chewing the root."

Kawa-kawa, n. Maori name for an ornamental shrub of New Zealand, Macropiper excelsum. In Maori, Kawa = "unpleasant to the taste, bitter, sour." (Williams.) The missionaries used to make small beer out of the Kawa-kawa.

1850. Major Greenwood, `Journey from Taupo to Auckland,'

p. 30:

"The good missionary ... thrust upon us ... some bottles of a most refreshing light beverage made from the leaves of the kawa-kawa tree, which in taste much resembled ginger-beer."

1877. Anon., `Colonial Experiences, or Incidents of Thirty-four Years in New Zealand,' p. 104:

"Our tea was made from the dried leaves of a native shrub, of a very spicy flavour, and known as the kawakawa, too pungent if used fresh and green."

1896. `Otago Witness,' June 4, p. 49:

"The tints of kawa, of birch and broadleaf, of rimu and matai are blended together into one dark indivisible green."

Kawau, n. Maori name for a s.h.a.g, Phalacrocorax novae-hollandiae, Steph.

1888. W. L. Buller, `Birds of New Zealand,' vol. ii.

p. 145:

[Description given.]

Kea, n. a parrot of New Zealand, Nester notabilis, Gould. For its habits see quotations.

1862. J. Von Haast, `Exploration of Head Waters of Waitaki, 1862,'-in `Geology of Westland' (published 1879), p. 36:

"What gave still greater interest to the spot was the presence of a number of large green alpine parrots (Nestor notabilis), the kea of the natives, which visited continually the small grove of beech-trees near our camp."

1880. `Zoologist' for February, p. 57: