THE SMOKE CURE.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1888, Page 3

THE SMOKE CURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib— l rood with interest tho letters tlint appeared in your paper on the smoke ouro. I have known Maoris when meeting with jacoidonts from gun and aXe, subjeot thoir Blurts to the liko troatment with satisfactory tchuHs. Bnt tho smoke process is applied tfor othor pnrposca, and I havo made practical and benefioient use of it. Many of those irho may read this will know, if thoy are old ohnms," how very savage bush pigs ; are, and bow almost impossible it is to tamo them i»tth ordinary means, even little suckers * wmk old, partake of bush original sin. •Soiwe years ago, I was living in the Fortymils Bnnh, and, as wild pigs abounded, often Wod to go pig hunting. In fact, we livod 'principally on wild pork. I ofton caught young wild pips from anything np to 251bn in weight. These we carried homo, sometiraos far miles, on our backs, alive; first mnzzling their mouths with flax, as in their rago they bit at overy thin? in tbqirroaoh. On reaching our whara, we made a fire in tho olay chimney, and whon there was a good sliow of cinders, tho four legs of our wild piggio woro tied together, and ho was snspended some four feet above the fire, bnt out of reaoh of singing ; a quantity of green manuka was tuon placed on tho fire, whioh oaused a thick yellow; smoke, in which the pig was hidden from view, but tho coughing and struggling wont on distinctly, as the ovil spirit relaxed its hold over him. The struggles got fainter and fainter, and at last the savage grnnts ceased. This took abont ten minutes. When the pig was taken down and looßod, bis savage nature had left him. He hid nover bsoomc insensible, and he grunted contentodly at our feot, picked np a potato thrown to him, and humbly asked for another. Tho pig was tamed for evor, and never showod any inclination to run baok to tho bnsh, but remained on the premises and took up hia quarters with the pig dogs, and they all became fast friendß, and would, pigs and dogs, tollow us miles over tho run or join tho pig hunting. I havo also hoard of tho smoke process being appliod, only in a somewhat difforent way, to Bubduing viuions hnrsos, with the result that it tamed them. f n the year 1865, when tho thon War Minister ordered an expeditionary forco to O-potiki to punish the murderers of the Re <„ Mr. Volkner, the native contingent, part, of the force, captured, after Borne fighting M d a hard ran, some of tho enomy, or, rlßr lB the N.C. usod to call them, tho ' Wild Mana," from their bushy and unkempt flft i r -wild, bush-pig look. On a " lvlDf > in camp, two of the native officers asked tn o to ii o t them try and tame them by.t jo smoke process, as thoy (rightly in my opinion and thoir own) said a good smoking Vould drivo Han Hanism out of them ¦und make them forget all their ovil ways, and make good Christians of them. I have since deeply regretted I did not seize this chance to roforin them, as I cannot Hiolp thinking it wonld havo been moro sno ¦cossfnl than gotting thorn to take tho oath of allegmnoe, which they did and immediately toroko and put the country to morq oxpenso. ¦Could not tho smoko euro bo tried in our prisons ? I certainly think it would do our larrikins good and wife-beaters. I am, Ac, T. M'DONNELL. 23rd Ootober, 1888.

Aa some misapprehension exists on tho subject, wo may oxplain that the two days' regatta to take plaoo oarly noxt year will not be held on consooutivo days. Racos for Bailing oraft and rowing boatß, suoh as ships' giga, Ac, will come off on Annivoraarv Day (22nd January), and on the last Saturday in Fobruary thoro will bo a reffatta for boats manned by tnombors of clubs ibolonging to the New Zealand Amateur Bowing Association only. This latter regatta will tako tho plaice of the one hitherto held by the Star Boating Club on the 17th March. It was proposed to havo two inriggod clinker four-oared gig races at tho Anniversary Regatta, but owing to the opposition shown in certain quarters the proposal was withdrawn this morning by Mr. A. G. Johnson, Captain of the Wellington Olnb. The Better Times Gold Mining Company, whose claim is aituatod at the Owen, reooived a parool of stone takon from a body of quartz about sft thick, and recently found. The parool was forwarded to tho Museum for treatment, and gave a very satisfactory result. The following is Mr. Skey's report : —"Results of analysis of speoimon No. 5062, forwarded by Mr. Bath. Locality— Tho Owen Reefs- (The Better Times); received 18th Ootober, 1888 ; reported on 19th Ootobor, 1888. Quartz for gold— Examined carefully, and gold found at the rate of loz lldwts 12grs por ton.— W. Skey." The Woodville Examiner states that when tho railway lino is openod to Eketahnna, Mr, Maoara is proparod to run a daily coach eaoh way between Woodville and Eketahuna to meot the trains at either end, if the Railway Department will agree to start tho train from Wellington earlier, and that from Woodville to Napier later. If this were dono, there would be a daily through florvioe both through the Gorge and via Eketahuna. It is hardly likely, however, that the Department will make the required altorationß. The usual annual unreserved sale of Mr. M. JBohan's stock of buggies, &c, will be held by Messrs. T. Kennedy Mncdonald nnd Co. on Friday next, at 12.90. For continuation or reading matter see fourth pace.