Kauri Gum Trade

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 254, 24 July 1935, Page 11

Kauri Gum Trade

Sir. —In “Old Colonial Days” of July 13 "M.T.” states that the very first mention of kauri gum is connected with George Bruce at Whangaroa in 1807, when he contracted to procure spars and benjamin gum for the ship General Wellesley. "M.T.” is not aware that Cook noted kauri gum at Mercury Bay in November, 1769, and also that three years later the French voyager Marion du Fresne and his officers saw it at the Bay of Islands. A very much later voyager to tlie Fiji Islands recorded that there for the first and only time he saw kauri gum used for giving light, a small lire being kindled in a potsherd, and into which small pieces of broken kauri gum were added from time to time, the light given being pretty good, hut accompanied with much, smoke. It may be that the Maori also did this, but though I cannot recall having read of it, there is record of heated kauri gum being used in much the same way as was practised by our civilised forbears administering boiling oil and molten lead to their enemies. In its soft green state kauri gum was much favoured by the Maori as a masticatory. —I am, etc., ■Wellington, July 20.