ELSTHORPE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 141, 31 May 1911, Page 11

ELSTHORPE.

(Own Correspondent.) The large whale, measuring about 50 feet long, whicli was . washed ashore at Te Apiti a short time ago. has created a considerable amount of interest. It was discovered by three men employed on Te Apiti station. Not being accustomed handling a monster of this description, they were at a loss to know how to proceed in the matter, fortunately Te Apiti is connected by telephone with Hastings. and through this medium advice was sought. After ringing up several people. including a fishmonger (who I am told advised them to sell it for £10), they consulted Mr. Charlton of the Carlton Club Hotel, who advised them to carve their names on a piece of wood and attach it to the whave, and also to hoist a small red flag on the carcase of the monster. This they did as a sign of ownership. The following day, however, to their amazement they found that it had disappeared, having been carried out by the tide to sea, but fortunately it was washed ashore again at another part of the beach. After this experience they took steps to sebure their prize and anc-ored it to the land, but it broke its moorings and

a second time the whale was carried out to sea, and once more washed ashore. They called the rest of the men on the station to their assistance and it was finally made secure, the work being done in several feet ’■ of water. Negotiations were entered into with the chief of the Maoris who reside at the Pah at Kairakau, with a view to selling it to them, and after a lot of bargaining it is reported it was purchased for £llO, although more than double that amount was asked for. This sum, I understand, is to be divided amongst the men on the station. The purchasers called to their assistance two Maoris from a distance who have had experience of cutting out the blubber, and last week the work was completed, and the blubber prepared for shipment to Napier, where it is to be boiled down. Your correspondent interviewed one of these experts on his way back to his home, and was informed that it was expected it would yield about 13 tons of oil. worth about £5OO, in addition to the value of the whalebone.