PRIMEVAL FOREST. "THE WOOD."

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14539, 17 October 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

PRIMEVAL FOREST. "THE WOOD."

It is difficult to realise now that in 1842, on one side and for some distance up the Maitai River, .and up the Brook street stream (this last locality being then called Little Scotland),tnere was a dense - forest of trees of large, size and considerable value. There were to be found matai, pukatere, tTkotea, totara, white and red pine, several kinas of birch, and the curious milk tree, which when-tapped yielded a sap like milk and by no means unpalatable. There is nothing left of Hi is primeval forest now, although the locality is called the Wood. ■ Birds, too, were plentiful in the Wood, and afforded some snort to the settlers. The wild pigeon, tho kaka, rho weka, and tlie.. : .-pakaki were numerous, but have entirely disappeared before the progress of .settlement, and tho native'rat, once so se-

••ious -a nuisance, has taken to other haunts. 'A colony of pakaki still exists in the swamp adjacent to the Riwaka School,- a few years ago these birds proved very successful raiaers or the school gardens there.—"Vanguard.")

vn. THE WRECK OF THE FIFESHIRE, FEB., 1842.

The wreck of the "Fifoshire" as she| was leaving the port is a memorable i event in the early days. She weighed anchor at 10.30 on the morning of the 27th February, with Captain Moore- on board as pilot. Tho wind was very lighi, owing to whicb she did not arrive at the entrance to the channel until the tide had ebbed sozne little time. She had nearly passed througr. the channel, with every appearance of •;^tting out well. when, the wind, suddenly failed, and tho tido-way carried her rigl-.t on the rocks, where-she fell broadside on to the Arrow Reef. All efforts to get her off were unavailing;, at low water she was nearly dry fore and aft—the lodge of rocks'lay'immediately xmder her mainmast, and her back was completely broken. She was condemned and the wreck advertised for sale. .Mr. Poynfcer, a .solicitor, bought her, got her afloat, and brought her into the harbour, where she was broken up and sold piecemeal. The purchaser is said to have mode an uncommonly good bargain. She was ' a new vessel of 557 tons register, and this was her first voyage:

MISCELLANEOUS

Thf"v> is an' amusing- story told of ov>o of tbo passengers pf tW "Fifesbire."' t He bought in Wellmsrton a pair of' rabbits for which- he gave