THE POVERTY BAY KUMI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 7

THE POVERTY BAY KUMI.

GISBORNE, September 17. Mr W. D. Lysuar has returned from a visit to his station, and confirms the statement that indications exist on Mount Arowhana of the presence of some strange large animal where it was reported to have been seen by Maoris a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, however, at the time of Mr Lysuar's visit it was not there, and possibly it has been frightened away by the bush-felling which has been going on! in the vicinity. Mr Lysuar and Mr Hansen (a naturalist who accompanied him) state that they saw sufficient to satisfy, them that some strange animal had been' haunting the place, and the photoa they took will confirm that impression. Leading towards the tree in which the animal was supposed to have its home, for a distance of 10 yards, was a well-formed rutshaped track of such peculiar formation that it is supposed it can only have been made by an animal dragging its heavy tail along_ the ground. Round about the roots of the tree there were numerous evidences pi the traffic of some heavy>animal, which had the appearance of not being many weeks old, and the theory formed in the minds of those who made the examination was that the animal had come recently to the locality, probably from another part of the mountain, with the object of making its home there. There were three places round the tree a sort of nest, and a clawing under the roots of the tree seemed lo indicate that it had been trying to get into the tree. Mr Hansen and a native climbed some distance up the tree and examined the various holes in it, and their impression was that the kumi (if it be a kumi) was not there. Whether it has gone temporarily or permanently will be the business of a party of men, whom Mr Lysuar is sending to camp in the vicinity, to discover. The men have instructions, if they can find the animal, to shoofc it. Amongst the debris in one of the nests at the foot of the tree were found a quantity of pigeon feathers. These were as though, they had been chewed in the mouth of au animal. They were not old fcather3. Tiie supposition is that the kumi had been feasting on a pigeon, taking ifc into his mouth whole, and had spat oufc the feathers. From the way in which the native described the gait of the animal he saw, and its other peculiarities, Mr Hansen is confident it is a large reptile.