OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DUNEDIN D.L.F. LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2850, 28 October 1908, Page 83

OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DUNEDIN D.L.F. LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB.

Hawke's Bay. September. 1908 My dear Comrades. — I have always intended writing a paper for some open meeting or taking part in some debate, but. somehow, my resolutions have been vain, and I h-ave never got beyond -writing a letter to you all. However,. tk*.t is better

than nothing at all, and perhaps some day I shall be able to send you something more substantial. In the meantime I hope matters are progressing favourably at the club. Our copy of last week's Witness has not arrived, and I need hardly say that we miss it very much. The Witness is a prime favourite here, and there is disappointment in the camp when it does not arrive punctually. We have small sympathy for the young man who said that "-a look at> the pictures and the price of rabbitskins" was all he saw in the Witness. Since !*£<£ I wrote you we have shifted our camp back towards Doris Creek, and a stage nearer civilisation. Most of the green bush in the immediate vicinity of our new camp has bsen destroyed by a targe fire, and so we miss our feathered friends. Still, there are a few birds, such as thrushes, blackbir-ds, tomtits. fantails, etc., around us. At 5 o'clock this morning! we were -awakened by the song of a thrush just outside our tent. These peerless songsters always seem to me to be at their very best in the early morning. We don't often see the minahs now. Occasionally we see a. single bird, but they never fly in flocks now

as they did a few months s^jo. One night last week a mopoke appeared in the bush

fringing the banks of the Manawatua River. -I had only seen one of them in the South

Island. That was in a dark gully in Green Island Bush more than 10 years ago. Wo have not yet seen a mooting bird in the North Island. The huia bird is, as you

I all know, confined strictly to this island. •»-It • Has never been known to exist in the -South Island, It is a rare bird liow. «nd ii seldom seen, thourh it still exiwts in the bush on the foothills of the" Ruahin© Mountains. We -have an old bue-hman with us here, -one who knows the bush intimately, and he iells me that when" he first came to New Zealand. 20 years ag-o^ the huia was very plentiful, and he frequently found their nests. When' hatching their .young they particularly resent the approach of an intruder, and will fight fiercely in defence of their nests.

Weli. chums, and how have the elements

been behaving in the South Island? We are enjoying lovely weather, though last Thursday evening we exrerienced tho stormiest night we have had since coming up here. The wind raee-tl furiously, drivinsr the rain right through both fly and tent. It was noaitively uncanny to pit in the tent- and listen to the wind roarinir in the totara free above and feel the rain driving in our faces. I tliink it must have been just Fuch a night ■that Tarn o' Shanter experienced upon the occasion of his memorable ride from Ayr, when "The wind blew as 'twere blawn its last. The rattlin' sbewers rope on the* blast. The speedy gleama the^ darkness swallowed. Loud, deeo, and lacg the thunder bel-

lowed." Several tents were blown down . or torn by the wind, but once cgain we eec-aned. There is a, possibility of our being finished out here ot th^ end of this month, but we cannot tell. Should it co happen, we will probably journey northwards, rverh-aps on foot, p^~e love walking, jmd by these means we wilihave peculiar opportunities of feeing the country. As we have almo&t definitely decided tn return to tbe South Island early in the l\evr Year.' we are anxious to see «8 much of the North as possible before doing co. I always .carry my diary with me, and record all imt>res?ion£. T wap fo pleased tc-day to r<*oeive n Inner letter from our old friend Echo — ojd club members will Temeinber her well. I also had -a Ion? and in'teres-ting letter from Horry and a po<=t-card from Boy. * And now, dear chums. I must stoo to-day. I will advif.& you of. our movements in 1 week or so. With kinda=f regards to all. believe me. dear comrades, — Your old chum

BLACK WATCH.