CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 62, 2 December 1863, Page 5

CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

A Committee meeting was held last night, when there were present Messrs. Beetham (chair\ Gash, Horton, Budd, Welsh, Campbell, Turner, and Manders. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The hon. sec., Mr Campbell, brought up a report showing that the sale of tickets amounted to £39, and collection during meeting, £l2 15s 6d, and to church collection on the evening of Sunday, the 22nd inst., 14 9s 6d, making in all £56 os. The report was ordered to be received. Accounts to the amount of £lB Os 3d were passed and ordered to be paid. This included the expenses attending the tea meeting, the erection of a belfry, and printing account since the opening of the church. Proposed by Mr Horton, and seconded by Captain Budd—" That the hon. sec. be requested to convey the thanks of the committee to the ladies for kindly supplying and presiding over their several tables on the occasion of the late tea meeting." Carried. Proposed by Mr Campbell, and seconded by Mr Welsh—" That a vote of thanks be given to Miss Royal and Messrs. Fawcett, Carey, and Dale, for their kindness in contributing to the amusement of the Church of England tea meeting." Carried. Proposed by Mr. Manders, seconded by Mr. Gash—" That the warm thanks of the Committee be given to the Masonic body, through Mr Harris, the Worshipful Master, for their kindness in granting the use of their Hall." Carried. " That the thanks of the Committee be tendered to the Sub-Committee, consisting of Messrs Gash, Campbell, Welsb, and Turner, for the energetic manner in which they carried out the arrangements for the tea meeting." Carried. Moved by Mr. Horton and seconded by Mr. Manders— * That tenders be called for additions to the Church, according to the plans and specifications laid before the Committee." Carried. The next meeting is appointed for 5 p.m. on Saturday.

OUR NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS. The New Zealand woods are very numerous and very vaned in their character. The pines flourish to great advantage. There is the Kauri pine, which is pretty well known; the Totara, the foliage of which rises to a head liks the Scotch pine. The Rimo is perhaps the most graceful It has a red hark, and the tree grows to a great height. The kahaikatea, or white {rine, produces the tawera fruit, which is succuent, and like the white of an egg, and somewhat of the cactus tribe. The flower is white and sweet, like honey. Matal, or black pine; mire, which is a turpentine description. The tree which is the most seen is the puriri, which is black, and bears a red berry. The leaf is dark green, something like the walnut, while the bark is of a light yellow color. In this tree is found a grub which makes a capital bait for fish. This wood is very durable, and is used for the basement of houses. The nikau is a palm pith, and is used by the Maories for thatching their whares or huts. The mamaku is a black fern tree. The head of this is eaten by the natives, and tastes something like the Brazil nut in flavor. The rata is also very abundant, and grows very quickly. The tawa grows in wreaths, and gradually winds round its next neighbor; and a large number of parasites gradually kill the parent, and very curiously form a new tree. It bears a red flower. The tawa bears a fruit like a prune, and the natives believe that the pigeons which make a noise like the pronunciation of the name of this tree, swall>wed a tawa stone, and still continue to call out. It is a soft wood of good grain. The kohi -kohi very much resembles the horse-chesnut, and bears a similar flower. Miri is the toughest wood of all; it is ot a light green color, with a pretty pointed leaf. It is a favorite saying with the uatives, when they wish to show their determination, to liken themselves to the miri. The bark of the hinon makes a capital black dye, and is most stringent in its character. The wood won't burn. The natives dye their flax with hinon. There is also the supplejack and native tuchsia, which has a pink bark and grows to a considerable height. Flax also grows in abundance. Of the shrubs, the karaka stands foremost. It has a light bark of a yellowish green, and a rough foliage, something like the magnolia, and bears a yellow berry much liked by the Maories and the pigeons, notwithstanding that they have rather a turpentine flavor. Ramarara has a pale green leaf, crumpled like wax; it lasts a long while green, and is worn for artificial flowers by the ladies. The lancewood grows to the height of cen feet without a leaf, but at the top is a cluster; they are very strong, and are used by bushmen as shoe leathers. The rata is of a reddish color, more like box in its character, and often grows to 80 and 100 feet without a branch, and is eight and ten feet through.