Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1835. HOUSE — BARN WATER-WHEEL. 60^ structed a house of similar size. A little room, used by Mr. Davis, pleased me much ; for, in addition to clever contrivances and good carpentry, it contained a collection of excellent books, and a frame on which an unfinished plan of the Society's farm bore testimony to the nature of the in-door occupations of our host. I did not expect to see much indication of reading, certainly none of drawing, in a newly-built house, standing in the midst of a tract of New Zealand, which two years previously was covered with fern. In the garden, European vegetables seemed to thrive, and the farm-yard was quite English ; a large barn, built entirely by natives, under Mr. Davis's direction ; a blacksmith's shop ; carts and farming implements, successively engaged our atten- tion. In the barn, a surprising work for the New Zealanders, two natives were thrashing, and a winnowing machine was attended by a third. The mill and mill-dam were well worth examination, as good works of their kind, independent of the interest occasioned by their locality. An embankment (made entirely by natives) had changed the upper part of a small valley into a large pond ; and on the middle of the pond-head, or embankment, stood the mill. A powerful water-wheel, equal to the performance of far more work than the mill required, seemed to be easily turned by only a part of the stream admitted through the mill-dam or sluice. In answer to a remark upon the surplus power, Mr. Davis said that the Society contemplated erecting a thrashing machine, and that Mr. Coates* had encouraged him to anti- cipate its arrival. A thrashing-machine might be worked easily, in addition to the mill, and yet there would be power to spare.-f- When embanking the pond, an unfortunate accident occurred, which almost stopped the work : one of the natives, incautiously digging under an overhanging mass of earth, was smothered by its sudden fall. Superstitious and easily excited, the natives abandoned their allotted tasks, and not without » Secretary to the Church IMissionary Society. + The Church Missionary Society have sent out the thrashing machine, and probably it is now in full operation.