EAST COAST LETTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5904, 24 October 1890, Page 2

EAST COAST LETTER.

4 Waipiro, Ocfc. 21. This year's shearing has, I regret to say, begun very much like last year's, but ifc is no use dilating on atmospheric eccentricities hereabouts. Hirini Taiwhanga was here the other day and blew after his manner. He was fed and sped onward. Mgatiporou will have none of him. Everybody, Natives included, recognise the necessity of Mr Carroll being returned here (Waipiro). Captain Edwin has given us up for & bad job, and he is right too, for he was generally wrong in his prognostications, and the former is more honorable than the latter, especially for a "weather prophet." Rather a ludicrous incident, which how. ever might have easily resolved itself into a tragedy, occurred at Hohoupouhamu, about two miles from here, on Saturday evening last. It appears that some wonderful (Tohunga) Maori doctor,, inland, had seat a bottle of medicine (rongoa) for his patients on the Coast, of which two partook, with the result that one (a Maori woman) fell down at once, was strongly convulsed, and remained insensible for some hours. Her brother also took some, and was also convulsed, but not so violantly as the woman, and did not become wholly unconscious. By this time the European husband of the woman had communicated with the local dispense^ and after the administration of a mixture which may be summarised as. "Tartar emetic " both recovered after full vomiting and probably rather a bad time. . Before quitting matters medical I may mention that Mr G. \Y. Dewes, manager of the Makarika station, met with a severe accident in the dislocation of his shoulder lately. Not succeeding in reducing the dislocation himself, our local medico wired to Dr. Johnston, of your town, who with the aid of chloroform soon fixed Mr Dewes up satisfactorily. Dr. Johnston has left a very favorable impression behind him on the Coast. The first meeting of possible and probable VVaiapu County legislators took place on Saturday last at Tuparoa. Ifc was remarked that Mr W. Miluer, probably representing Awanui, was present ; also (among the lesser lights) Sir George Whitmore, and Messrs A. H. Wallis, G, W. White, Boyd, Patrick. Travel's, Walker, O'Brien, Hodge, Taylor, and many others. The meeting was quite preliminary and informal, but seem 3to mark the initiation of a new epoch on our portion of the East Coast. [P.S. It has since transpired that the medicine (?) before mentioned as being supplied by the Maori "Tohunga" for his patients was a decoction of " Tutu " or "Tupaki," "coriaria ruscifolia," from the fruit of which a wine is sometimes prepared by the Maoris. Except under certain circumstances it is a virulent poison.]