DIVING FOR KAURI GUM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 12

DIVING FOR KAURI GUM.

(B? Telegraph—Spccl&l .Correspondent.) ' Auckland, September 10. Some interesting < information -is furnished by Messrs. Wyatt and Kerr, who arc engaged in winning kaiiri .gum from ; the bed of Lake 'l'aharoa, near .Maunganui-. Bluff. 'Tho\entbrprKins-''prosecufora'-'o< the work .carry on- operations, froni a 12ft. by-12ft. ra.fi, built on barrels, and are equipped 'with' one. of, the. diving costumes used in recover-! iii'g,the Elingamite gold.' Tho depth of tho •like, .in 1 its deepest "part,' is. 42ft.y and so lor satisfactory, returns have rowarded tho unique method adopted to win. the gum. Mr. Wyatt reports that* a ,• wonderful 'wealth'of timber lies submerged, and that barrels: of huge' kauris Ho prone on' tho bed ,of'the Iako; • bearing a perfect similitude to trees felled and found on shore. -Tho lake floor, is formed of a.speoies of pukahu, similar /to that found; : in-kauri': forests;: and termed "bukau" by bushmcn.;;' On tho' barrels,' And in' tho ; branches of', the trees, tho gum has''remained as when the giants stood 6rect in the forest,- and quantities of leaves .brought ' to tho' surface . show a surprising state of preservation. When found they are of that peculiar russet colour seen on young growing • kauris, ■• but exposure to . the air renders .them 1 dark and soft. ; Miro berries .are : "pleiitiful, and'- also tho leaves' ! of the tumatakvirvt,' a tree' which grows vory much like tho tariekaha, but which is not now found, in the district.' ■ It is, however, plentiful' in' Hokitinga kauri forests. '. Messrs 'Wyatt' and Kerr intend to' pay special attention to all tho submerged vegetation, they encounter, and as it is. safe to assume that the, trees have remained in. their, present location for centuries, some interesting scientilic finds may be brought to light. As viewed at the depth of '40ft., tho appearance of the. kauris •is perfectly natural, and somo specimens, of tho Bark, oncrusted witlV gum loaves, and timber' will' bo forwarded to'the Auckland Museum, Mr. Kerr describes, the lake bed ;as being a beautiful garden, one lovely ' growth attaining a height of 4ft.. He'reports the trout placed in the lake by the Hobson Acclimatisation Socioty as being numerous and vigorous. It may lie stated that nono of tlie timber shows any signs pf ravages by fire, which, in a measure, upsets tho theory that tho ancient kauri forests in that region, were devastated by igneous action.