Further Moa Discoveries

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 139, 7 March 1936, Page 19

Further Moa Discoveries

There has been much discussion in this couunm concerning finds of moa bones, but no one has mentioned the amazing rinds of bones iu the ancient ovens at Waingongoro in 1866. Sir George Grey, at that time Governor of the colony, and Lieut.-Colonel McDonell, paid a visit to Waingongoro with Kawaqa Paipai and other Natives from Wanganui in 1866, and proceeded to the mouth of the Waingongoro River where the redoubts were held by the Imperial troops. Sir George parleyed with Wiremu Hukanul, a chief of the Ngatiruanui, and a discussion soon arose concerning the moa. Kawaua Paipai stated that as a youth he bad joined in moa hunts on the Waimate plains, ami described the chase thus: “The young men stationed themselves in various parts of the plains, and when a moa was started it was pur sued by one of these parties armed with sticks and stones until they were tired, when another detachment would take up the running. This continued until the moa was exhausted, when a chief would administer the coup de grace.” Paipai said that great efforts were made to drive the moa into the high fern; the more easily to tire it out. The pakehas present expressed doubt as to the truth of this statement, so old Paipai, by way of proof, told some men to bring spades and lie would show them where to uncover the ovens in which the birds used to be cooked. After shovelling to a depth of about three feet, stones, blackened and burnt by fire, were turned up, and at last a Maori oven some five feet in diameter was uncovered. Among the stones lay heaps of broken and charred moa bones, portions of skulls and thighbones which had been broken, so Paipai said, to extricate the marrow. A similar find is reported to have taken place at Awamoa in December, 1847. The Hon. Walter Mantell contributed an article on this to the “Wellington Spectator” in 1848. This seems to afford conclusive proof that the moa lived until comparatively recent times, possibly even to the beginning of last century.— D.A.W.