People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 190, 12 August 1931, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Mr E. J. Ellis’s Prediction about Snowfall : How the Maoris Account for the Pukekos Red Bill : When the Fitehell used to Ring In Christchurch.

JT IS instructive, after a big race like the Grand National, to run over the opinions of trainers, which we published in the Star ” the day before the race, and find out how far their optimism or pessimism was justified. It will be found that these men have not misled the public, and have not usually been betrayed into undue optimism. Least of all could this be said ci Mr E. J. Ellis, the trainer of Snowfall. His comment was compressed into two lines; None of them are reallv much good.” he said. “I think the horse has a fair chance.” W m W THIS OPINION probably fitted in with that of many good judges that this year’s field was not nearly up to past standards. It was also somewhat characteristic of the trainer, who is not particularly communicative, at any rate in an enthusiastic strain, in what he makes public. Mr Ellis has had a considerable experience with jumpers, and for a time was private trainer to Mr L. C. llazlett, who at that period had a large number of jumpers, amongst them being Pamplona, a high-class steeplechaser who, had he been sound, might have added very considerably to his creditable record as a cross-country performer. Pamplona won the Dunedin Steeplechase twice, and on another occasion finished a head behind the winner in the Wellington Steeplechase. WWW r DISCOVERY of two bodies in a perfect state of preservation in a Tyrolese glacier, sitting under a transparent sheet ot ice in the attitude in-which they sat down to play cards by candlelight has recalled the tragedy of the Hochstetter Glacier in New Zealand seventeen years ago, when three men were overcome by an avalanche. Some of the remains have been found, but it is quite possible that some alpine party of the future will come upon further remains of this tragedy. The alpine regions, because they preserve bodies indefinitely just as they die, have given an opportunity to some people to draw a long bow.

WWW W J . TIIIN the last three or four months in Christchurch there appeared, in the course of a most fascinating travel series in the talkies, a picture of the Franz Josef Glacier magnificently and faithfully portray-

ed. But the producer had either been deceived bv somebody, or had set out to deceive the public, for he wove into the story of the Franz Josef an alpine tragedy of long ago, in which a bride was lost in a crevasse and her husband, now an old man, had occupied a hut for a long life-time, near the ice, in the hope that some day he would recover the body. The story, wfiich, of course, was purely imaginary, was extremely well depicted, especially in the climax, where the cld man sees the wraith of his young bride in a vast ice cave in the moment in which he was reunited with her in the spirit world. WWW OFFICIAL of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Bird Protection Society stated a few days ago that the Taieri district “ was crawling with pukeko.” Permits, it is stated, are now to be given for shooting the bird where necessary. A few of these birds may be seen any evening in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens, generally near the lake behind the Winter Gardens. The Ngati-awa tribe, Taranaki, explained the pukeko’s red bill and legs by the legend that Tuna-roa—long eel—insulted the wife of Maui, a powerful god. Maui cut off Tuna-roa’s head. lie waved the blood from the severed head to and fro. Some of it fell on the pukeko, which never got rid of the colour. The same legend explains the red in parrakeets’ plumages.

9 9 ® A PRETTIER LEGEND, believed by other tribes, was that a god named Ta-whaki, when ascending to the skies one day, met the pukeko in the form of a child, accompanied by its parent. Ta-whaki. in playful mood, tweaked the pukeko’s nose, which has been red ever since.

The Ngati-hau—Children of the Wind believed that the great chief Turi, captain of the Aotea canoe, broifght the pukeko from the Maoris’ ancestial home in Ilawaiki. The ancient Maoris' idea of feminine adornment was to immerse a pukeko’s skin in oil of the titoki berries, scented with the gum of other plants., The skin was rolled into a ball and was worn auspeti 1 from the neck, the ornament resting on the wearer's breast.

JS L\ TTELTON out of date? The question has been answered in the affirmative by many people, but in one respect, at any rate, the port is years ahead of the biggest ports in Great Britain. The fact that steamers at Newport Docks, South Wales, are able to have telephones connected with the main trunk lines is considered to be an item of news worthy of being cabled around the world, as has been done to-day, but such an installation has been in operation at Lyttelton for the past two years. Any steamer can be connected to the Christchurch telephone exchange immediately on berthing, connections being fitted at all wharves. W W ?? gIXTY YEARS AGO. (From the "Star" of August 12, 1871): The Fire Bell.— Pursuant to notice, the fire bell recently removed from the White Hart to the bell tower of the new Brigade Hall, in Lichfield Street, was tested shortly after noon yesterday. Connected with the test, we may note that several amusing incidents occurred from the announcement of the intention to ring the bell not being universally known. Not a few persons rushed into the city—in many cases at much personal inconvenience—when they heard the alarm; but the cabmen were, perhaps, most amusingly 44 sold ” of any. The bonuses offered for conveyance of the Superintendent of the Brigade and the plant to a fire are plums for which not a little scrambling invariably occurs, and no sooner was the first peal of the bell heard yesterday than the whole body of cabmen drove excitedly off in various directions—some to the superintendent’s residence, some to one station, and some to the other. One even went so far in his zeal as to take possession of the White Hart engine-house, and shout in a most energetic manner for some one to open the. door. What the feelings were when the mistake was discovered will be easily understood, and not a little l>anter was levelled at the luckless Jehus during the day.

Melbourne, July 27.—The Great Britain has arrived, 63 days out, all well. Mr Anthony Trollope was a passenger. He visits Queensland after the mail arrives, then Sydney. Australia and New Zealand, returning home via California.