THE WAIKATO SAURIAN MONSTER.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 6, 10 November 1887, Page 2

THE WAIKATO SAURIAN MONSTER.

Some months ago tiro Auckland papers wore full of accounts or a mysterious monster that cleared carcasses out of slaughterhouses. chased children, left peculiar tracks in tiro mud, etc., but for some t-ifix there lias been no mention of it. It appears now, however, that tiro stranger Irad been caught and shot. A o t ike the folio .v----iug account of its capture from a letter of an Aucldaud correspondent to tiro Star :—lt appears that a native whilst fishing in his canoe just off the South Spit of the Raglan Harbour on Friday lust, observed, on looking towards tiro shore, apparently a largo animal, slamboring on thu beach. He immediately gave the alarm, and the natives assembled in numbers on the beach with guns. The momtir, on being approached, opened its mo i : it grunting, barking and mapping bs ugly jaws. Hawin' • rrd at i f s lie id and hit him,tile bill ott kin.. ni otlVm. Anuiliernattve then need ami wo inch'd ! him in the side. Upon appro.adiiag | in tic animal put its anus, wings or | flappeis in front of its head as a mode i of deieuce. but being severely wounded I could oiler no resistance. ,\ y v u-,> \ was then fastened round i‘s neck About a dor, on Maoris took it in tow to ; f hc H ig-lau Wharf, on to which it was j landed by means of a crane. iter | being killed it was found to be II Am | in leiig!li. and six Ivct in c.ivuinii r- i once. It has two large arms or Mappers Its tail consisted of two large pvto a icrs opening out like the web too. or a duck. It was covered uith a line far, and. had no cars, bur, openings in its | skin It had Hi teeth in each jaw, i four of them being like tu-ks, The I head has been preserved, it is sup|)osed to bo a sou elephant. The'skin j is also preserved, it weighs between j G and 7 cwt. J The K 7i Herald s correspondent on J Monday last wired as follows:—The i H giau mail carrier, who arrived to-: -jr. describes t.;e saurian monster I •. .. . t»a J'rnlay as trmag uimai hirgei’ j any seal, with diu'emut teeth. j and a mouth that eouid swallow a j inau H roared into a ball when shot j and could be hoard lor a long dhtaiwo | The ua ive policeman. Rawiii, win) sjiot it, asus .i,20 tor the skin, head and Kgs which are jyepured lor cuuil* ing.