THE HUIA AND NATIONAL SENTIMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7264, 21 October 1910, Page 1

THE HUIA AND NATIONAL SENTIMENT

MR STETENS'S PROPOSALS

''TO DISPATCH MAORIS IN SEARCH* | i "Whilst the Maori is anxious:thaf the jhuiai should be preserved, the national locntiment amongst the race with regard! ! to tho preservation-of the 'bird has died' ■tout, very largely because-there are few Maoris 'left now in the localities where jliuias are said to exist. The other—tribe* do not seem to be actuated by a .national [spirit to preserve these birds." Tiis Iremark was made by Mr J. Stevens, ex< 'M.P. for Manawatu, who is in Welling* '.ton to interview the Hon, D. Duddo, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Mt A,Hamilton, dircctor-of the-JJominion Mujseum, on the question,' of forming ..« jMaori expedition for the 'purpose- of ascertaimiiiig whether there uj<J any 'huiats still to be found onthe;westorn.tSlopes of. the Ruahine i-ajiges. 1 SUGGESTED TIVNT. . Mr Stevens's idea is'•that-t*OM>r lnoro 'Maoris, expert in.the capture--of huias, Ishould go to the head waters of th< iKawattau stream, a"Bributary of tli*. Ranjgitikei river, also to the headwaters of Itlio Mangawharariki and Boshangiuii Wvcrs, the-latter-of which, .runs, into th« |Manawatu river just below Ashhurst, 'His proposal.is that tlieexpedifcioirLshould search rourinl the headwaters of thesci rivers and along the-foothiUis of tlie Ta>, rarua.range. The party shoujd have icentral. canup and bo accompanied by a; 'Euroiieau appointed by tlie Ooverament .for the purpose of verifying statements that might 'bo.in;ido»as to -vvAether huiaa had or had not been seen. There should "be two expeditions—lie jfirstrto ascertain whether the -birds are in -exisstenoe in; the localities-(indicated .and also Wh ether' three or more to seen. 11! reports were favourable, a, second ddtion should'Tje dispatched. <to endoavouK to capture the birda. ' From liis personal knowledge. Mr>Stc. vons; is aware that; there were inuniberff of huias in the--distriat under notice in the early days. ,'A native—Wnci-iko Ponj—had inform ed,,Jiira that ho 'hod seen, huiae there two'years, ago, -but was - vented from going on tho Government reserve, other wise he might, have seen « . great many.jnore. A LIKELY.: PLA'CE. : Mt Stevens'said hediid'Jictt-think there was "any more likely plaoß in the Dominion than that which he had indicated. He knew 'this ■&om his own, knowledge. There were considerable num-> bers of huias round abo«t Paliiatua in the early seventies, duriTig the existence of the old Jfaori ti-ack,i)ast .Tutaikara.. He had 'travelled, on, two?, occasions through the Seventy ilile Bosh and hod. found huias to .be very, plentiful there, but the destruction of 'the bush had, driven .them back.to-the Government i-c. serves in the western slopes of tho Ruar' linos—if ■ anywhere. This district, as far up as '• Inland- Patea,, at the back of Taihape, was a "icinid of' sauctuairy for bird life. The-liuia, in his opinion, w-as only likely-tobe found-on Hhe western slopes'of thc!ltuahines. ' Thei natives •formiu.g the exjpodition ehouidl •be 'pi'Ovided with camp equipment, reccivo remiuieraition at a small rate per diem, and a small bonus-for, each pair of iuiias-<iiscovered , u,p to ai,ilimitxja num-> bar. Having an isolated, bird (moho)would not be of much, use. There might bo two,-three, or-fou'n isolaitedi lairds, but unless a,.pair or pairs could,t>o-captured it would-be useless. '■, .

|..._ -■ v; ' . ■;" ■? "I think it vonM bo one.'? of tba ;' greatest flosses to tlie.- science, life from a nationai point,of view if tbesa.:'."-" : 1. birds aire allowed' to "become'extinct,'' . eaid Mr Stevens. "They preserved if two or..''"throe pairs wcra captained and placed on little Barrier : Island, tho Dominion, tsanctnary. To" ■put tbem' on Kapifcr would be neeless, beoattso the.island lis'too near the main, 1 land oind the birdy'wotrld probably fly across to Waikanae. I nndersbaod thati tho hnia i6i:the only'birdVof its epeciew in existence in, the »worid. .It is either ■worth' nabbing or worth-spen.ds2i4p,a.good", amount of time-and- moneyiton,in, endeavour to preservo it. : "' "' ~jffljSi|SjH|H " To' the Maori "in- 'bis primrtiy«|'aa:tw|HH thß feather of the hnia was.-a' v, mark'ofJ , ®sil great dstinotion. , .-None"" .but : chiefsKail or chieftain-eases were permitted.' "tcr." : K'f!l ■wear it. For instance: If a, comiiwraep ",'M in Great 'Britain in the eariy days-woro il a badge of distinction such as the- Order ' i of the Gaunter he would probably haive -'1 been decapitated. So with the Maori 'I and the huia feather. It denoted thatf € the wearers were people of high, class | anid high rank. Now, however, tho Maori I is imbued with tho pakeha- idca,«of th« i glitter of silver and gold." 1