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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 169, 16 July 1908, Page 6

I A bulletin issued in connection with the ; Dominion Museum gives a great variety !of curious information on fiabi-ng and | Bea-foods of the ancient Maori. The I volume is written by Mr. Hamilton, Director of the Museum, and contains j about 80 excellent illustrations. xhe jwork contains a lively description of how j the tohunga Eae once rode upon a whale I—a feat surpassing anything imagined Jby De E.ougej_ont. An ingenious method !is also -escribed by which the ancient j Maoris are sa.d to have caught a favour - I ite variety of shark. This fish could not Ibe captured by hook or line, but the natives would let a tempting bait down in front of it, and as the shark followed the bait down its tail would rise out of the water. At this moment a strong noosed rope would be thrown over the tail, and after a long struggle the shark would be captured. Illustrations and descriptions are given oi fish-hooks made of stone, wood, moa bones, human bones, and other materials. "So many articles are foun_ i_ the middens and sandhills that are made from the moa bones," writes Mr Hamilton, "that we must assume that at the time these were made the bones from which they were cut were in good condition, and possibly fresh. Of course, we cannot say for certain how long ago a hook was made, so that this does not do more than assure us that if the Maori did not see the moa alive, as some contend, they must have become extinct so recently that their bones were still in good condition. This would also make all the moa bones and implements date from the very earliest period, which is quite unlikely." A large amount ot inlormation is also given rej garding sinkers, nets, traps, and eel I spears.