AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11243, 13 October 1898, Page 2

AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Ouk Own CositEsroKDENT.)

AUCKLAND, October 10,

Eight feet of space has been granted to the Milton Potteries iruOtago ; for the purpose of exhibiting its .products at the exhibition. To-day James Caradus and -Mrs Caradus, a couple of old and much respected colonists, celebrate the anniversary of their golden weddin" They, have -spent over' half a century in Auckland, and. .were married fifty years ago to-day, October 10, 1848, in the Old Wesleyan Chapel in High stl'eet, by the Rev. Henry Lawry. Mr and Mrs Caradus arrived in Auckland in the early forties from Glasgow in separate vessels, coming out when a boy and'girl by the immigrant ships Jane Giftord ahd.Duchess of.Argyll; They are still hale after.their long'Cblonial life,'and Mrs Caradus y well-kriown in'-feminine'political circles. Mounted-constable .JSceles, accompanied by Augustus Hockstron, who . discovered the human remains in a cave while, pig hunting in ■ the vicinity 'of Piha1 Bay,';left fpr thelocality'indicated on -Saturday. U?hay had-, no difficulty in finding the spot again, and discovered ori arriving on the scene that the rock -cave was aljout Vft long and 4ft high, forming, in. the face of the cliff a shelter from the jweatlier. ,lri:front of the cave they found four ■skulls thrown forward;out of the .cave ,by a land slip,. of which traces, were. -. manifest. ■ These skulls were bleached as though, exposed to the weather for a long time. The cave is rather difficult of access, as it is necessary to climb the face'of an almost perpendicular cliff. Inside the cave they found 24- more skulls in a. better state of preservation. A number of skulls had punctures in the back, evidently caused by a blow from a blunt instrument. One had the front broken away, and was of a reddish oolour, like an old bloodstain. A second skull had a hole-on the left side, resembling a, bullet wound, .Of the 24 skulls found two were smaller than the rest, and all were in a' fair state of rjreservatiou. There were no. bodies or limb bones to be seen ; pn tlie bottom of'the cave, which is of a rocky rmture. There .was, to be seen hair, of a reddish colour apparently, some of which Con: stable Eccles secured. It is stated that theremains may be probably a" century old, as the cave was quite.dry,,and would prevent them from rotting quickly. The scene of the " find" is about 30 miles from Auckland, and one mile from Pih?. Bay, nnd is surrounded by a dense bush. There is no sign of there having been any habitation in the vicinity, though at a place called Piha Rock, about a mile distant, there is .said lo have existed at. one time..aMaori'pa'or stronghold. Tho cave has evidently been; iiied by the Maoris-many lonpc years ago as a'burial ground. In all probability the remains may be.of some of the chiefs who fell in the great battle of Big Muddy Creek about 1836, when the Ngatiwhatua and other tribes contended for possession of the Auckland isthmus. The former Droved victors, and afterwards;-ns concmerori;; Bold Aurtk1-' land.to Governor. Hobson. The coroner, Or Philson, has decided that it would be absurd to hold an inquest on thcße old skulls. He •'(!• commends* that 'they be left where they v.'cro found and covered up again.