A PIONEER’S RECOLLECTIONS

Southland Times, Issue 23674, 24 November 1938, Page 8

A PIONEER’S RECOLLECTIONS

To The Editor Sir,—ln : the museum notes in your issue of August 16, I notice a good deal about the mystery surrounding the presence of the moa in New Zealand in past ages. It may interest some to know that the late Mr T. S. Royds and his brother John were valued amateur naturalists in Southland in the late fifties and early sixties, and at their homes at Otatara and Waikiwi had miniature museums. While living at Otatara they frequently crossed the river looking for unusual specimens or anything along the beach or on the numerous sandhills. One day they came upon quite a find of moa bones. At that time, nearly 75 years ago, it was regarded as one of Southland's best discoveries. About the same time Mr John Royds was going home for a trip in the Jessie Reedman and took the various bones with him and presented them to a museum in London. Mr Royds later on had word of the bones being assembled, though not entirely—through the absence of a bone or two which were supplied from other bones in hand. I saw the bones and heard the brothers say what a wonderful state of preservation they were in. At the time of this particular find many others were found and from the variation in size and quality of the stones and pebbles near each skeleton the Royds brothers said there were either two species or a small colony of mixed ages. The stones came from their crops or gizzards and threw much light on their size. It was some little time after this that the wreck of the tea-laden ship, Hindoo, took place, just about where the main entrance to Oreti beach is today. To get to the ship from the beach, those desiring to visit it for plunder or profit had to wade through three feet of water. The rocking of the ship had worked a deep hole in the south side of the vessel, and any one venturesome enough to try to get on board could only do so by pulling himself hand over hand by a stout rope made fast to a deck rail. The most fun I ever had was watching a number of over-anxious business men make the attempt to climb the rope only to slip back to the cold green water. The crew was all Malayans. Every outsider was commanded to carry tea from the vessel to the sandhills while the Malayans were put on guard to protect the tea. In spite of their vigilance a quantity of the tea that was never paid for found its way into some of the homes. Tom and John Royds living near the scene of the wreck bought some of the planking when the Hindoo was broken up, and, being typical pioneers, used it for practical purposes. It may be of interest to know , that over 70 or 80 years ago Southland abounded with butterfly and insect life that we have seen little or nothing of in the last 50 years. I well recall a collection of both beautiful and grotesque insects in all shades, pinned to a cork-bottomed shallow box. All these have gone, destroyed, I presume, by imported insects. As I write of those long-ago days other events occur to me. This is the story of some sons of old pioneers. About 55 years ago the people who lived about Sandy Point and New river had a number of wild ponies which they had sold the chance of catching to more than one youthful syndicate, who had not been successful. But these youths who were equal to catching two or three of them went down determined to catch them. They took ropes, whips and a tent with them, and took turns in following the ponies night and day. They chose moonlit nights for the venture. The ponies became so tired after a few days that they allowed their pursuers to get closer and closer to them. These Royds boys so distressed the tired ponies that they took to the open seas. The boys were downhearted and were on the point of going home when thev saw the ponies coming back. They knew how exhausted they would be and had no difficulty in putting halters on them.

Now for another story more gruesome. During the lads’ movements about this time, the westerly winds, so prevalent in 'those days, had uncovered a Maori cemetery, and numerous bones

and skulls were quite exposed. The boys took some of them back to town with them and made me a present of a perfect and well-shaped skull. I kept it in the passage among the coats and hats, as my wife and I were not troubled by nerves or" superstitions. I proposed getting rid of it as many of my visitors were quite shocked when they saw It. I gave it to a friend who filled it with fine earth, and planted in it a viola, which produced beautiful blooms in season. That was the last I heard of my hall decoration. A medical friend of mine, the late Dr McPherson, told me it was the skull of a female about 30 or 40. ■ These young adventurers are still to the fore, though old men i.ow. Should this letter catch their eye they may have something to say. I was offered one of the ponies for nothing, but being well horsed at the time, I did not bother. I understand most of them were very old, so I do not think the youths did very much good out of them. But they had plenty of fun.—Yours, etc., OLD TIMER. November 18, 1938.