PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2038, 18 September 1874, Page 2

PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

The following is the first portion of a paper read by Dr Haasfc at a special meeting of the society on Tuesday, Sept. 15, " On results of excavations and researches in and near the Moa-bone Point Cave, Sumner road " -. — In the spring of the year, 1872, Mr Edward ; Jollio suggested to me, that the Moa-bone Point; Cave, near Sumner, if properly examined, would doubtless yield important and interesting results. My friend thought that, by making these extensive and careful excavations, the question of the age and extinction of the moa would be, if not entirely j solved, at least considerably advanced, and that even the ground near the entrance of the cave, many acres in extent, if properly investigated, would offer additional evidence for the elucidation of the Bubject. On my remark that no funds for such" an undertaking, were at my disposal, Mr Jollie headed at once a subscription list for the purpose, followed by a number of gentlemen who took an interest in the matter, and which, assisted by a grant from the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, soon placed the greater portion of the necessary funds in my hands. After having obtained the permission from Mr Alfred Claypon Watson, Sumner road, on whose property the Sumner cave is situated, I began the work of . excavation on Monday, Sept. 23, and ended on Saturday, Nov. 9, 1872, the same. .having, thus been accomplished in seven weeks; during which time I occupied always two labourers working under my directions. '. < r }■ c < „ •: I may be allowed to present here my warmest thanks on behalf of the Canterbury Museum to the subscribers of the funds, of which the details of expenditure will be found in Appendix A, and to Mr Watson, the owner of the soil, for his permission to undertake the work. I wish also to apologise to them, that I am only enabled to-day to lay the results of these excavations and researches before them. However, I must plead, in extenuation, that the bulk of this paper was written more than a year ago, but that I was then compelled, from want of room in the Museum, to repack the extensive collections made during these excavations, before I found the time to examine them thoroughly, and describe them in detail ; and only in the last few months I have managed to make the necessary space in one of the work rooms for doing so. Before entering 4nto a description of the results achieved, I "think it will be expedient to offer a few general observations on the geological features of the cave and of the surrounding country, as in the summing up it will be necessary for me to refer to them in elucidation of some of the points at issue. GEOLOGICAL FEATUBES. Banks Peninsula, an extinct volcanio system of large dimensions, stood on an island, in postpliocene times, in the sea, showing by the configuration of its base that an oscillation averaging about 20 feet in vertical height has taken place, the country being depressed and afterwards raised to about the same altitude again. This line is woll visible travelling round Banks Peninsula to its western termination where, when we reach that altitude above the sea level, the signs of a former submersion disappear before the newer fluviatile and lacastrine deposits. During and after the small submergence of its base, this portion of Banks Peninsula was of course subjected to the fury of the waves, when in favourable localities caves were formed either by the removal of loose material (tufas) between two harder lava streams, or by the enlargement of pre-existing hollows, such as are found as air bubbles, often of gigantic size, in lava streams running generally parallel to the action of their How. In this instance, there is no doubt that the Moa-bone Point Cave is a pre-existing hollow in a doleritic lava stream, which has been enlarged by the enormous power of the dashing waves of tho ocean beating here at one time furiously against the northern foot of the Peninsula. In previous publications (amongst others, Report on the Formation of the Canterbury Plains, 1864, page 22, and segu.). I have shewn how in post-pliocene times from the material brought down by the enormous glacier torrents, forming huge shingle fans at the foot of the glaciers, two bars were thrown across the sea j one to unite the northern or Waimakariri- Ashley deposits with tho northern slopes, another to connect the southern or Bakaia-Ashburton beds of the same nature with the southern slopes of Banks Peninsula, behind which a huge lair 3 was formed, of which lake Ellesmere is the last remnant. Of the northern bar we can trace the inner or western shores through Kaiapoi to the neighbourhood of Woodend. In this large fresh water lagoon (occasionally an estuary basin) the Waimakariri, Selwyn, and sometimes the Rakaia, discharged their waters, having an outlet near the north-western slopes of Banks Peninsula, which, in going towards Cashmere, the residence of Sir Cracroft Wilson, we can easily trace the lines of dunes and shingle by which the eastern Bhore of that lake was formed, being in the beginning very narrow, and only gradually, as more and more material was added, assuming a greater breadth. Thus, we are able to follow the different lines of these earliest-formed beds from the neighbourhood of Kaiapoi, wbere they are comparatively narrow, along the eastern boundary of Ohristchurch to the northern foot of the Peninsula, gradually diverging more and more. In my former paper, entitled "Moa and Moa Hunters" ("Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," vol. iv., page 89), I have already alluded to the fact that the ovens of the Moa hunters were confined to the inner lines of these dunes, and a further close examination of the district between Christchurch and and New Brighton has confirmed fully my former more local observations. Thua it is

evident that when the former inhabitant* of this pare of New Zealand existed principally upon the chase of the moa, tho sand dunes had scarcely reached the foot of the PeninBula, where now the Ferry road crosses the Heathcote, and consequently that the whole breadth of the sand dunes from opposite that locality to the Sumner bar, where they have now their south-eastern termination, have i been formed since. There are some Maori ovens and kitchen I middens on the northern side of the Heathcote eßtuary, but they invariably contain only shell-beds. POSITION OF THE CAVE. When the cavity, now called the Moa-bone Point Cave, was enlarged by the waves of the sea, the estuary of the Heathcote- Avon in its present form was not yet in existence. Close to this cavity on its western side a hard doleritic lava stream now passed through by the Sumner road cutting, reached for some distance into the sea, forming a small headland, against which, principally on its eastern side, the waves of the Pacific ocean broke with considerable force, Masses of rock were detached by the surf being taken along in an easterly direction for about a quarter of a mile forming a ridge gradually becoming lower, and losing itself amongst the sands. The formation of this ridge principally took place when this portion of the Peninsula was some twelve to fifteen feet lower than at present, the upper line of boulders being about sixteen feet above the present high-water mark. When the land rose again, the sea was cut off by this boulder ridge from the entrance of the cave, a huge rook lying here, nearly across, protecting it at the same time from being filled up by the deposits of drift sands now forming bn the flat close to it. A second and lower line of boulders was formed in fronn of the former about fire feet above the present high-water mark, with a small terraced space behind it. Since then, other deposits, formed in the Avon- Heathcote estuary, have been added as a small belt in front of this last line of boulders, bronght into its present position by the action of the open sea. In section No. 1, 1 have given the necessary details in illustration of these points. Before giving a description of the caTe as I found it before beginning my labours, I may observe that the same was well-known from the very beginning of the Canterbury settlement. It was even inhabited by some of the earliest settlers, and for some time afterwards afforded shelter to lime-burners, fishermen, and road parties, of whom, as will be seen in the sequel, ample traces were left behind. Tin* entrance of the cave, which is about forty feet from the crown of the Sumner road, having here an altitude of 18.59 feet above high water mark, is situated nearly 5 feet lower, or 13.64 feet above high water, taking the level of the surface for our line. An opening, which is about 30 feet broad by 8 feet high, being, however, much narrowed by a huge rock leads into the cave, of which I found the floor slightly sloping down. The, cave itself consists of three compartments, of which the first one possesses by far the greatest dimensions, running nearly due north and south, and being 102 feet long, *72 feet broad towards the middle, and about 24 feet high. from its termination, by a small passage a. second cave is reached, which is 18 feet long, 14 feet wide, and about 11 feet high; its direction being north by west to aouth by ■ east; at its southern end a small passage, 3 feet high, by about 2.50 feet broad, leads into a third or inner chamber, 'which is 22 feet long, with an average width of 16 feet, and about 20 feet high, running again like the principal cave, due north and south ; . its floor being about eight feet above high water* mark. My beat thanks are due to Mr T. Roberts, the present engineer of the Gladstone and Timaru Board of Works, who, at my request, has taken the necesary levels and surveyed the cave, the results of his labours being attached to this report. : CONTENTS OP OAVB. : On examination of the surface beds of the cave showed that the floor of the main cave was, in some localities, covered with the remains of European occupation, in many others by the excrements of goats and cattle, introduced by the European in 1839 ; but that everywhere below thorn, when visible, portions of sheila of molluska were occurring, the same species as still inhabit the Estuary olobb by, and had served as food to the Natives of the islands visiting the cave in former times. Towards the end of the main cave these beds gradually thinned out and were mixed with each other, till near the entrance to the second cave marine sands, the former floor of the cave, reached the surface. v So, proceeding with two labourers to the cave, I instructed them to dig two trenches, crossing each other at right angles, in the centre of the cave, till they reached what they considered the lowest part of the deposits due to human agency. On Sept. 29, when arriving early in the morning, the greater portion of that work had been accomplished, the workmen having reached a bed of agglomerate, which they consider the bottom of the cave, for our purpose, or at least reaching to the earliest beginning of human occupancy. Digging, by mj direction, through this, agglomerate for a considerable distance down into the Bands below it without any proof of human presence being obtained.' I also reluctantly, at least for the present, gave up any further work below it. Sections No. 1 and 2 give the details of the excavations then performed. At a centre, where tho two trenches crossed, I noted the following sequence : — 1. Shell beds, consisting of the remains ft. in. of the following species, now still inhabiting the estuary : — Ohione Stutchburyi (Cookie) fluai or Pipi, Mesodesma Chemnitzii Pipi, Amphibola avellana (Periwinkle) Hetiku-tiku, Mytilus smaragdinus (Mussel) Kuku 1 10 . 2. Aahbed with some pieces of flax, cabbage tree leaves, charred wood, etc. ... 0 8 3. Bed consisting of shells, of ten very much decomposed, the same species , . ' as Nol #># i 2 4. Ash and dirt bed, with a few pieceß of Moa bones ... ... ... 0 9 5. Agglomeratic beds, consisting of pieces of rocks fallen from the roof 0 6 4 11 This latter deposit rested upon 6. Marine sands, in which I had dug down 3ft. without results _ Between 3 and 4 a sharp line of demarcation was clearly visible, which, as the continuation of the excavation showed, was of great importance. European beds do not appear as occurring on the surface at this point, as they had been previously cleared away by the workmen. Near the entrance of the cave, the following

beds were passed in the longitudinal trench (see section No 1). 1. Beds of European occupation, cow ft. in. dung, tins, pieces of bottles, &c. ... 0 i) 2. SheU beds ... 2 3 3. Ash beda 0 5 4. Bhellbeds ' 1 4 5. Ash beds, chips of wood, tussocks... 0 G 6. Shell beds, often very much decomposed, with small chips of timber, and thin beds of ashes between them, about ... 3 0 8 3 (Loweat portion of No. 6 not reached.) Owing to the depth of the trench, at this spot, the same waa not continued. The spot where I noted this section was about 10ft from the entrance of the cave. At the point where it reached the large rock, lying nearly across the entrance of the cave, the sequence was as follows : — ft. in." 1. Beds of European origin 0 7 2. Shell beds ... . 2 1 3. Ash beds 0 6 4. Shell beds 1 4 5. Ash beda 0 9 6. Drift sands ... 1 0 7. Ash and dirt bed (lower aeriea) ... 0 7 8. Agglomerate... - 0 5 9 5 The shells in the beds were exactly of the same description as those given in the foregoing section at the junction of both trenches in the centre of the main cave. The sequence of the beds and this identity of species proved clearly that a Native population, living principally upon the mollusks now inhabiting the estuary, have occupied every part of the cave during a very long period, that portion of the entrance being of course preferred ; this accounts for the greater thickness of the beds in its immediate neighbourhood, which, as will be observed, gradually thin out as we advance towards the termination of the first cave. Advancing to a consideration of the section exhibited in the cross trench, we find that it passes through the following beda on A — it's eastern aide (section 2) : — 1. European beds,consißting of wheaten ft. in. straw, bones of butcher's meat, shells, match boxes, horse dung... 2 1 (Here was evidently a favourite spot for the cave dwellers of European origin.) ft. in. 2. Ashbed, tussocks, Maori 0 4 3. Shell beda, similar to those described previously ... 0 8 LOWER BEBIE3. 4. Ash and dirt beds 0 5 6. Agglomeratic beds ... 0 7 4 1 Below 5, the marine sands were examined for about three feet down. , B. — WESTERN SIDB. 1. European beds, mostly cattle dang. 0 1 2. Shell beds, like No. 3 in previous enumeration ... ... ... 1 1 8. Ashes, tussooks, &o ...0 10 4. Shell beds, often much decomposed 0 9 6. Ashbed ... ... 0 4 6. Do. mixed with shells ... ... 0 9 IOWEB SBBIES. 7. Dirt and ashbeds ;.. ... ... 9 3 8. Agglomeratic bed ... ... ... 0 5 4 9 Marine sands proved to exist for about three feet below No. 8. Besides the shells, of which, the bivalves were with very few exceptiona found only in single valves, pieces of wood (partly charred), portions of wooden implements of Maori manufacture, plaitings made of phormium tenax and pieces of two broken polished stone implements were collected, whilst oloae to the bottom of the trench a few moa bones were obtained, amongst which several species were represented. On the top of the ashbeds immediately above the agglomerate, a small piece of a tibia of Meionornis casuarinus, bleached and much decomposed waa observed by me, which had been lying close to a well preserved seal bone, possessing the light brown colour the bones generally exhibited when exhumed, thus suggesting that the moa bone must have been brought into the cave from the outside after having become bleached and partly decomposed. In order to teat more fully the general character of the beds above the agglomerate, I gave directions to the labourers to work backwards from the cross trench, examining first the Bouth-west corner of the cave, once more cautioning them to use the utmost care, and not to hurry over the examination. With this work we continued until Oot. 3, when, after having looked carefully over the specimens obtained, I could not divest myself of the conviction that in and below the agglomeratio beds, remains proving human occupation must be found. Amongst the objects obtained during the last few days, the workmen having turned over deposits covering an area about 20 feet by 30 feet wide, and advanoing in a southweßt direction, were some moa bones, the leg bones usually broken aa for the extraction of the marrow, others of them calcined, all of them occurring only in the lowest bed. The over-lying shell beds, as I shall call them in future, consisted principally of the uiual remnants of shells, together with some seal bones belonging to fur seal and sea leopard, portions of the Maori dog, all evidently from their kitchen middens ; bones of fish, without exception, belonging to Oligorus gigaa, the hapuka ; also, bones of small birds, of which the enumeration will be found in the lists attached to this memoir ; of the latter, those of Graculua punctatus, the spotted shag, were the most numerous. i Works of human industry were not wanting, as we obtained pieces of timber evidently ■worked and planed down by polished stone implements, and upon one of which a coating of red colour was still visible. Amongst the other objects made of wood hitherto exhumed were— 1. Several pieces of " toa," a thin and long wooden spear made o£ tawa (Meaodaphne tawa),a tree which grows only in the northern part of the Northern Island. This spear is used by the Maoris for shooting birds. For this purpose, they form, as it were, a Bhort tube around it with the one hand, through which, after taking proper aim, they jerk the thin "spear up 8 uddenly with the other. 2. A patu aruhe, or fernroot beater, made of maire (Sautaium Cunninghamii), another strictly Northern Island tree. 3. The greatest portion of a whaka-kai, a wooden dish made of pukatea (Atherosperma Novffi Zealandte),Ußed for placing fat birds in order not to lose the oil, or for the preparation of the juice of the tupakihi (Coriaria ruscifolia). ... 4. Several large pawa sheila (Hahotis ins), in which the holes near the exterior border are filled with the fibres, of flax ortileaveß, thus forming • a vesael for the preservation of , oil and other liquids.

5. A fishhook (Matoa), used for catching bapuku, made from the wood of the kai kai atua (Rhabdothamua Solandri) another Northern Island tree 6 A long Bleniier switch, of which part waa broken off, and baring at the other side a notch for tying. This is called a tokai made of aka, one of the Metroaideros or Rata species. It is used to keep the entrance of a fishing-net open. 7. Another piece was recognised as a taka ore kaka — a parrot perch made of puketea. 8. Several pieces belonging to a canoe, such aa the puru (two specimens), made of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), used to stop the holes in a large canoe, for letting the water oat ; and a square piece of wood, made of totara (Padocarpua totara), called tahatiki whaka, used to fasten the sides of a canoe. 9. Also, portions of a matika, or fighting spears, made of manuka, and several others.* However, besides the few pieces of moa bones which might accidentally have been brought into the cave from the outside, there was nothing which could prove that there had been a regular occupation by the moa hunters. I therefore set the labourers to work to go I through the agglomeratic bed once more, and I waa delighted to find, very soon, that this time my expectations were not doomed to disappointment. After having paßsd through that bed, which I found to be here 6in thick, another ashbed of a thickness of 3in was reached, in which I obtained several moa bones, some of them calcined, others in a splendid state of preservation, belonging to Euryapteryx rheidea and Meionornia didiformis, as well aa some pieces of charred wood. Proceeding with the utmost care, several large stones were reached covered with a few ] inches of sand, some of them blackened or split by the action of fire, and placed in such 1 a position as to show that evidently an oven had here been excavated in the sands, these stones, like the remains of the meal taken here, having trampled repeatedly over, and before the ash and dirtbeda had been deposited above them. In digging round this spot I obtained the upper inaudible of Aptornia difossor in a fine state of preservation, and a quantity of moa bones, also two wooden sticks made of pukatea (Atheroaperma Nov® Zealand®) for producing fire. This simple apparatus, the only one found in the cave, has the peculiarity that fire, instead of being obtained by friction lengthwise, was procured by giving the upper stick a turning motion. However, I may add that this was not the only mode by which the moa hunting population .>btained fire, as in the same lower beds firestirka of the other kind were also found, resembling, in this respect, those belonging to the upper or inollusk eating population, which are used at the present time by the Maoris, and are called kauwahi by them. i ! About 4 feet from this oven we came across some large pieces of egg shells, of which many ' had still the lining membrane attached!, proving, by their form of curvature, that they are portions of a Dinornis egg of very large size. Towards the western side of the cave, partly buried in the sands, partly in the ash-bed below the agglomerate, a well preserved skull of a fur seal, probably Arctocephalus lobatua, waa obtained. Having been so far successful, I had the sea sands examined over a considerable apace, and to a depth of 7ft, when water was reached. Since then I have been boring near the same spot, and found that the sea sands continued for another sft before the rock on the bottom of the cave was reached, thus showing that there is here a total thickness of 12ft of marine sands in the cave. The following shells were obtained in these sands, without doubt brought with them into the cave by the waves of the sea, viz:— Mactra discors, M. donaciformis, Mesodesma cuneata, Artemis subrosea, Turitella roaea, and fragments of some others, but no estuary shells. Section No 3 gives the details of this important point. On the surface we found — 1. European deposits, dung of cowa, ft in goats, etc, wheaten straw, ashea... 0 6 2. Shell bed (Maori) 0 9\ 3. Tussock and aah-beds ... ... 0 4. 4. Shell beds 14 5. Ash bed* ... ... ... ... 0 2 6. Ditto, mixed greatly with shells, often very much decomposed ... 010 7. Ash and dirt beds (lower series) ... 0 2 8. Agglomeratic bed 0 6 9. Ashbed 0 3 10. Marine sands to water ... ... 7 0 10 10 Amongst the shell beds, blocka of rocks, often of large size, were met with, evidently tallea down from the roof, showing that since fhe formation of the agglomerate bed the cave continued to be still insecure. There was thus conclusive evidence of the Moa hunters having used the cave occasionally as a cooking place ; whilst the absence of any shells proved, as I shall also shew, when speaking of the numerous moa ovens amongst the small hillocks of drift sand near the entrance of the cave, that the population "■'ho exterminated our huge birds did not look with a favourable eye upon the food, used almost exclusively by their successors. However, I may here observe, that near the oven in question, a few valves of our common freshwater mussel (Naio Aucklandicus) were obtained, which must have been brought by the moa hunters into the cave. For the next few days we continued to excavate towards the end of the main cave, where, near the entrance to the small middle chamber the marine sands sometimes reached the surface, European, Maori, and Moa hunter remains being here occasionally mixed with each other, trodden down into the sands by men or cattle. In a few more protected spots, ash and dirt beds, to a thickness of several inches, remained undisturbed above these sands. Advancing from the entrance to the middle chamber towards the big fragment of rock B, fallen from the roof, which is 6ffc broad by 12ft long and 10ft high, and forms a remarkable feature in the cave, the artificial deposits soon become more considerable and full of interest. Close to the rock, on its southern Bide, they reached a thickness of nearly 3ft, consisting of —

* I owe a great deal of thia information to Hone Taahu and Tamati Ngakahu, two skilful Maori artificers of the Ngatiporou tribe, Poverty Bay, Northern Island, who, for some months past, have been occupied at the Canterbury Museum with the necessary preparations for the erection of a" Maori house, carved and painted in the original style of ancient Maori art, now fast dying out. As they come from a part of New Zealand where the ancient Native customs have been retained longest, their information may be considered very reliable.

1 i ■ ' ft. in. 1. Beds of European occupation (cowdung) 0. 4 2. Shell beds (Maori) ... 0 10 3. Dirt and ash beds, wilh tussocks (flas) 0 4 4. Shell beda 0 9 5. Lower series dirt and aah beds ... 0 5 6. Agglomerate beds, altering gradually again to ash-beds upon Ihe sands. . . 0 3 7. Marine sands as far as excavated ... 3 0 5 11 In the lowest beds, partly imbedded in the sands, we obtained a great number of moa bones, belonging at least to six specimens, of which four were well represented, namely, three specimens of Meionornis didiformis, of which two were immature birds, and one specimen of Euryapteryx rheideß, also not yet full grown. Advancing towards the huge rock previously alluded to, I observed that one portion of its unequal under surface stood above the sands, thus leaving a space below, from which we took a number of things, amongst them a fine and perfect pelvis, and several leg bones of an immature specimen of Meionornis didiformis, some bones of the Maori dog, like the former partly calcined and broken in, having been used for food, as well as portions of skeletons of kakas, penguins, and Borne other birds. . „ ,■. ... :. When examining the shell beds we had repeteadly found amongst them match boxes, small bones of sheep, and other remnants of European life, evidently brought into their present position by means of numerous rat holes, passing through these upper beds ; also near to this small spot not filled up by the sea sanda a few small European remains had found their way, which if the mode of their transport had not been clear to me might have been a great puzzle. Section No. 4 gives the details of the arrangement of the beds abutting against the rock. Also, a considerable amount of drift timber was lying here, without doubt, mostly brought so far back by human agency ; a great deal of it beingjeharrod, or partly burnt; and all the evidence before me went to ahow that thia spot hidden aa it waa from the entrance by the huge rock in front of it, had been a favourite camping and eating ground, both of the moa-hunting, and afterwards of the shell fish-eating populations. For another week I continued to occupy, the workmen in the south-eastern portion of the cave, but gradually advancing towards the western side of the cross trench of which section No. 2 gives the details. Before reaching the trenoh at the spot marked O in the ground plan of the cave, wo came across a stand, haying been used for the stabling of a horse, which had been dug into the shell-bed to a depth of several feet; in some spots reaching actually down to the marine sanda. This strange place for a stable waa now mostly filled with horse dung and European kitchen middens, well trampled down, and above them, with a layer of the excrements of. cattle. Altogether, in this part of the cave, the beds had been much disturbed by the cave-dwellers of European origin, so that in some instances moa bones were actually mixed up with bones of butcher's meat, lying now together in the disturbed shell beda. When advancing towards the point where the two main trenches crossed eaoh other, the workmen observed standing vertically in the sands the remains of two muoh decomposed piles, haying a diameter of about eight inches, and which evidently had been deprived of their bark by means of a smooth stone implement, before having been placed in their present position. Evidently they had been burned to the ground before the lowest dirt bed had been deposited, their charred ends standing scarcely above the level of the marine sanda. Of these pilea, the first was observed 15ft from the eastern wall of the cave, and 6ft behind the cross trench, the second opposite to the first on its south- western side, and at a distance of 12ft. They were found during my absence, and the men not thinking their occurrence of suf ficient interest, simply took them out — but noting their position — instead of leaving them standing until I had come down. They reported that they had reached about 16in down into the sands. During my presence I caused new excavations to be made round the spot where these piles were reported to have stood, but I could not get any other object except portions of one of the piieß, which on examination proved to be rimu (Ducrydium cupressinium) . In the agglomeratic bed in this southeastern portion of the cave we obtained a number' of moa bones, of which portions of a skeleton of Euryapteryx rbeides were the most conspicuous. With the latter also the two rami of the lower inaudible were found, but not the least portion of the skull ; in fact, the absence of any but very small fragments of skulls in all kitchen middens shows that the brain of the moa was considered a great delicacy. Here we got again a few small pieces of obisdian and aoine chips and cores of flint together with' similar rough and primitivo tools made of a hard and compact dolorite found in situ close to the cave. In the lower beds also seal bones, a few phalanges from the flipper of a small whale, bonea of birda atill at present inhabiting New Zealand were collected, amongst the latter those of the spotted shag and small blue penguin were most numerous. In the dirt and ash bed above the agglomerate, we obtained a number of bonea belonging both to pur extinct and living vertebrate fauna, amongst them the greater portion of the skeleton of a fur seal. In the shell beda above, numerous Maori remainß were found, amongst them a few fernroot beatera made of wood, some canoe pins, laxplaitings, all of whioh will be enumerated in the appendix O. When examining first the two main trial trenches crossing each other at right angles in the centre of the cave, the absence of the agglomeratic beds was hero noted by me, but I then thought that it might have been caused by the roof having— in that part of the cave— accidentally possessed a greater solidity. In this surmise I waa atill more confirmed by finding that in those spots the dirt and ash bed was much thicker, lying here directly upon the sands, so that the former had a nearly uniform upper surface. However, when continuing the excavations across the cross ditch towards the entrance of the cave, to the description of which I shall devote another portion of this memoir, we found in the longitudinal trench a third pile, and observed that in the space between these three points and another point (where, however, no remains of a pile were existing) forming an oblong square 36ft long by 12ft wide, the agglomerate bed was entirely missing, and the inference was therefore natural that at one

time a human dwelling of some kind had been standing here. My first impression was that the lake dwellers, in order to protect themselves from the pieces of rock becoming looso at intervals from the ceiling, hadbuilta strong roof, resting upon four corner piles, which, after the principal fall of rocks ceased, had accidentally been burned to the ground, but on closer examination it became clear to me that the time during which the agglomerafcic beds were formed waa of such long duration that it is impossible to assume such a frail construction having lasted so long. Moreover, one can scarcely believe that a primitive race, and which evidently only at intervals inhabited the cave, before the agglomerate bed was deposited upon the marine sands, should act with such forethought and care. There remains only one other explanation, which. l advance with some diflidence, namely, that the builder of the dwelling, whoever he may have been excavated, not only the four polea for fixing the corner piles into the agglomerate, but actually lifted the same in the apace between them; against thia, however, it may be observed that if suoh as we may presume unnecessary work was performed, the agglomerate bed ought not only to end abruptly round the former dwelling, but that the removed material, having been thrown outside the thickness of the bed in question, ought to be here much more considerable. However, from the sections made during the process of the excavations, it does not appear that the agglomerate bed vraa generally thicker outside this oblong square, or that it ended abruptly. On the contrary, the same was found to thin out close to the intersecting lines, the ash and dirt bed becoming gradually thicker. The same waa the case in some of the other portions of the cave where the agglomerate was also occasionally missing, and I can only regret that when that portion of the cave towards the entrance was excavated, where a great thickness of the overlying shell beds had first to be removed, my official work at the Museum would not allow me to go ao often to the ground aa I should have wished. This question has therefore to remain an open one. Having reached (Saturday, Oct. 19) the cross trench on the eastern aide of the cave, and thus examined the whole Bouth-eaatern portion, I began to continue with the excavations on the south-western aide towarda the termination of the cave in that direction. Hitherto we had not been successful either in obtaining human bonea, nor Maori objeota of any value, which I hoped might have been placed in a cache similar to those found in carefully excavated hiding places in the moa hunter (and afterward Maori) encampments at'Rakaia. However, that evening we came, a few feet from the south-western wall, upon disturbed ground, and carefully taking off the material, the skeleton of a Maori waa reached, who, as section No. V. shows, had been buried a considerable time. The aborigines who had placed the body there, ! had dug through the shell-bed for about eight inches, then two inches through the dirt and ash bed belonging to the older aeries, and four inches through the agglomeratio deposit. They had then excavated the marine sands for several feet, and had placed the corpse in a sitting position in the grave thus formed tied together with flax, the face towards the wall of rock, covering it with part of the sands thrown out, the rest being thrown with the shells excavated around the spot. However, it was clearly visible that the ground had afterwards been levelled, as it were, under the feet of human occupants, and about six inches of newly-formed shell-bad, being continuous and level with the more distant bed, had been deposited over the grave, the whole being capped with three inches of European accumulations. It is thua evident that the burial had not only taken place long before the Europeans came to the cave, but that the Maoris continued for a considerable number of years to frequent the cave, and to take their meala there after that event had happened. Thia fact naturally leads me to assume that the cave waa not conatantly, or even regularly, visited by the Maoris ; and that its occupation occurred only occasionally, and by different tribes of Natives ; because, judging from the character and superstitions of the Aborigines of the present time, we can safely say that, after the burial of one of them, the cave would have become strictly tapu to all those ! having any knowledge of the fact, at least as far as the taking of meals is concerned. Thia opinion is also shared by the Eev J. Buller, whom I consulted on this question, and who, having been living for many years amongst them in the Northern Island, is perfectly acquainted with all their cuatoma. From this fact alone, and the conclusions therefrom, if admitted, we are obliged to assume that an enormous space of time waa necesßary to form this shell bed alone. The body, as before observed, had been tied together with flax — the knees being placed below the chin. Owing to the antiseptic properties of the sand, there were still some ligamenta and skin upon the bones, and some hair upon the skull. The skeleton which has been articulated by Mr F. Fuller, and now stands in the Canterbury Museum, belongs to a man of a height of nearly 6ft, past manhood. The ulua of the left arm is broken, and was only partially healed when the man died. We are so accustomed to observe Natives possessing a fine set of teeth, that it is rather striking to see this aborigine must have suffered very much from bad and dißtorted teeth. Thua we find, that most of the promoters and molars are missing in the lower jaw, the alveoles being already quite absorbed. In the upper jaw, the first molar on the right side, and the first molar on the left are distorted inwards, their anterior surfaces being adherent to the alveoles, which are developed into a alight bony outgrowth. Owing to a very remarkable distortion of the left molar, mastication waa performed with ita inner surface, which was worn. Examining the two Bmaller caves, we obtained also some moa and other birds' bones lying close to the surface of the sands, mixed up with ashes and other signs of human occupation, so that it is evident that casual visitors penetrated to these inner caves, probably to hide themaelves from their enemies, and cooked their meals, or at least lighted fires. As these two smaller caves for years past have been visited by Europeans, a number of moa bones have, as I understand, been carried away. having been observed amongst the sands.

[To be continued.] J