THE MOA.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 94, 19 October 1908, Page 5

THE MOA.

AN INTERESTING LETTER

A member of the Ngai Tahu tribe, at Kaiapoi, writing to the Lyttelton Times relative to the disappearance of the moa;, says : "Sonic years ago I read in the . Christchurch :papers an article by the late jSir Julius von Haast, entitled "TheMoa and Mpa jHuntersy' in which 'Sir 'Julius stated the Maoris were riot the moa hunters, but that the moa hunters were a prehistoric race to the Maoris. I thought that statement was incorrect, so I made enquiry of our old people (Maoris) if the tnoa -was seen her (South Island), by: the Ngai Tahu tribe, but was answered by all that the moa was not seen/ by the Ngai Tahu nor the Ngati Maamoe, nor the Waitah tribes, and they doubt whether the Haweas saw the moa. This went to confirm Sir Julius' statement. The statement that the moa was a/bout the Wellington district so recently as stated could hardly be true. The. moa could not be there without being seen by the Ngai Taliu people, who occupied 1 all that district? before crossing the Straits about ten or twelve generations ago. _The Maoris say that the moa lived on wind, because whenever it blew the moa would stretch its neck to the wind, and open its mouth and eat the wind. This might account for the statement that they stretched their- necks gazing across the ocean to their former haunts. lam of opinion' that the extinction of the moa was caused by fire, as the remains of these birds are more numerous in swamps and about . the edge of the snow line, whore they probably .fled to escape tfhe fire, and died of starvation through their food being destroyed. Whether the fires were accidentally lighted or by the hunters, in pursuit, in order to capture them more easily, we canno^, of course, say. I once came across a heap of over a quart of roxuidishwquartz gravel about the edge of the saiow line on the Mount Benget range (in the mining days of Otago) on a bunch of growing vines, which gave it the appearance of being recently deposited. On examination I found; that the depths of the lowest pebbles did not exceed an inch into the earth. The growth of the vines under and about the heap of gravel was probably of more recent date. There is not a pebble of any description to be found the mountain side for miles around, nothing but pure soil, which was continually' washing away by the thaw. The deposit was by the moa, perhaps from its gizzard. In the islands (Pacific) the fowl is called a moa.

Board and lodging is required bj r a young man in private family.

Mrs Ingram, of Miller's Road, notifies that she has room at. her private residence for three or four lady boarders.

His Worship the Mayor and *he Mayoress have received complimentary tickets for the Wairarapa and East Coast Pastoral and Agricultural Society's show on October 28th and 29th. " i Mr C. R. James, of the Red House, advises all householders in this issue that if they desire to renovate tho rooms of their houses, they should first call and inspect his stock of new wall papers, there- being no better selection in the district.

In another column Messrs Fryer and Randall announce that they have purchased the bakery business so successfully carried on by Mr A. H. Bull for the past four years. Messrs Fryer and Randle claim to be expert tradesmen, having had a wide experience both in London and in various parts of New Zealand. They therefore undertake to supply their patrons with only the very best of bread and fancy goods, and hope by this means to hold and even increase the liberal patronage which Mr Bull has enjoyed. We understand tliat it is not Mr Bull's intention to leave- the district.