CHATHAM ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 10

CHATHAM ISLANDS

INVESTIGATION BY SCIENTISTS.

At New Year : time—they Bailed from Lyttelton on New gear's Day—a party of scientists set out to explore the Chatham Islands. The first to return, says the ."Otago Daily Times," is Mr. W. G. Howes, F.E.S.', of Dunedin, who, as his fellowship would indicate, intended to give particular study ■to the entomological features of the islands. ■ Mr. Howes was hot'greatly'satisfied with'the results of his investigations, stating that he had secured very little in the way of motha, beetles, and flies, although"he had.^'een sanguine that he would obtain a good collection. However, he was hopeful of better' results from another visit to the islands, and, if he could arrange to do so, he would make another trip next year. The fauna and flora were found to be very similar to those of New Zealand. Mr. Howes and another member of the party remained in the township-of Waitangi, while the pthers made a trip up the northern coast. As they had not arrived back when Mr. , Howes' left, he could give only scant information about their work. He made horseback trips to the bushes around the settlement, and later was joined by Mr. Skinner, anthropologist, of Dunedin, and native guides, in a visit to .the limestone paves This was an unfortunate affair for Mr Howes, because he slipped off a ledgt and fell heavily. His injuries laid hiro up for a few days,'and then,he went to Lake Houri and the lagoon. It was a fine place, he said, with a great sho\\ of bird life, pukeko, weka', wild duck, and swan living in great numbers on the shores of the lagoon. During that time a botanist in the party went southward to "The Horns," and collected some good botanic specimens. A, great many Maori curios had been collected by Mr..Skinner, while Messrs. G. Ar'chey and S. Lindsay, of the Christchurch, Museum, who went to the islands ahead of the main expedition, had been presented with valuable carvings, by the local people. The bird-life on the islands was practi cally untouched. Pigeons, tuis, fantails, and the Chatham Islands, wrens were in great numbers, and there were no weasels or ferrets, the only trouble being the grey or Norwegian rat. It was a peculiar thing that there were no lizards on the main island, but they were reported from the south-eastern island and Cook Islands. The teles of the natives regarding the creatures there wer? highly imaginary. Mr. Howes had'been told that in one cave chickens were caught and eaten by huge spiders. Discoveries of interest had been made by the geologist, Mr. R. S. Allan, B.Sc. He had found an occurrence of rubies, even although it was poor stuff, and a fair seam' of lignite, which the people might use., The islands had any amount of good volcanic soil, and it was practically uncultivated. It was • beautiful •growing ground, and there was a great scope there for immigration. Thousands of acres were awaiting settlement. The main industries were sheep and cattle farming and fishing. Mr. Howes could not say whether any important fossil-Uke discoveries had been made, but he said that bird specimens had been found in the sandhills. He mentioned that in his own brief stay he had picked up an interesting lot of native articles, including granite axes and bone pieces. Mr. Howes was greatly impressed by the kindness with which the Natives treated the visitors. "We had no need to camp as we did," he remarked, "for •we could easily have had accommodation from them. The party was also fortunate in having splendid weather for investigation, and the , bogs that characterise the place in the rainy weather were all dried up. Mr..Howes had to return before the other members of the party for business reasons, and he thinks it probable that they will not arrive before 3rd February.