QUEST OF THE HUIA

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1929, Page 9

QUEST OF THE HUIA

A VERY' RARE BIRD. TWO OLD-TIME SEARCHES. The report that huias —the bird that has often been thought to be nearly, if not entirely, extinct —have been recently seen in the Reahine country inland from Mangaweka, has prompted Mr. G. McGregor, of Banana, on the Wanganui River, to supply the Wanganui Chronicle with an account of two trips that he made to the remote bush areas 20 years ago in search of huias. On the first occasion he heard the birds calling, but the second search was fruitless.

Mr. McGregor says:—"ln 1909 I was asked by the curator of the Wellington Museum, the late Mr. A. Hamilton, to make a trip to the upper end of the Ruahine ranges about Mokai Patea. Taking a native with me from here, J went to Taihape, picking up another native there, a man who knew that country thoroughly and was an expert at calling the huia. From there we went to Mokai.

“The following day we climbed the ranges through open country, following Colenso’s track; the track by which that wonderful man got into the upper Rangitikei from Maraekakaho riding a horse, a stallion, which he gave to the late Ihakara Rango, and on which the Ngatiwhiti and Ngatitawa people learned to ride, that being the first horse in that country. At the top of the range we dropped into the Mangatera Gorge, through which runs the stream of that name. The bottom of the gorge was so narrow and precipitous that we had to cross and recross. THE CALL OF THE HUIA. “We worked our way down for four days looking for traces of the birds and calling. On the morning of the second day my Wanganui man deserted us, getting out of the bush and making tracks tor home. On the morning of the fifth day, owing to the sudden rise of the stream, we had to leave and by the same route as we had gone in. The river rose so quickly and the current was so strong that it was only w'ith the aid of a long pole that we could make any headway against the current. “On that occasion we both distinctly heard the call of the huia. It had been feeding or working for its food on the flame side of a small valley as we were on and flew across to the opposite side and perhaps further, as we remained for some time calling, but there was no response. “On a subsequent occasion Mr. Hamilton, the same native and I made another trip, this time to Aorangi, which is the most northern point of the Ruahine ranges. We were directed by the late Mr. Geo. Donnelly, to a shepherd’s hut high upon the point of the range where we camped, leaving our horses there. AN UNSUCCESSFUL QUEST, “On tho following morning we entered the bush at a point about four or five miles north of, and at right angles to, the same stream, the Mangatera. From there we cut a track, camping some couple of miles or so in the bush, as Mr. Hamilton had spent a most uncomfortable night, and, not being too well, I strongly advised him to return to. the whare, there to wait for us. To this he agreed, we, the native and I, returning with him. “Wo shared our tucker and blankets and left him at the hut, the native and I returning to complete the track and, of course, to look out for huias. We saw nor heard none of them during the four days we were in the bush. We did not complete , the track at Mangatera, as it took longer than I anticipated and I was most enxious about Mr. Hamilton, knowing as I did. that he would not see a soul and he not looking too well when I left. On the forenoon of the fifth day we arrived back at the hut to find Mr. Hamilton quite well, but so lonely that when we shook hands I quite thought ho would never let go.” . ■