Pupils of the Waitara High School, Pakeha and Maori, took part in the search. This cheerful quartet includes, from left to right: Glenys Kelly, Felix Ngatai, Moana Cameron and Loma Puke. (TARANAKI DAILY NEWS PHOTOGRAPH) son after they had been completed, was not very seriously considered as the others seemed far more logical. With the careful excavation of January and February, however, this reason has been given far more consideration and may ultimately be regarded as the most important. So from time to time carvings have come to light as drains have been cut through the swamps. Many of the museums of the country have an example or two of the art of the Taranaki wood carver but most of them have come to light in comparatively recent times. As superb examples of carving the lintels have pride of place. To the present writer's knowledge nine of these pare are in existence and of these perhaps seven were found in swamps. Another group of carvings preserved are epa or panels of storehouses. About half a dozen have been found over the years. And that brings us back to the present. In April, 1958, Mr A. G. Barnitt, working on his father's farm on Richmond Road, Waitara, found an epa. The same month Mr P. Cole discovered a similar panel on his property on nearby Tikorangi Road. News of the finds brought the curator of the Canterbury Museum, Dr Roger Duff, who was attending a conference at Wanganui, to Taranaki. He was strongly of the opinion that a methodical search of the area should be carried out and he persuaded the New Plymouth Library and Taranaki Museum Committee to back the project on the understanding that any artifacts found would go to the museum. Now let it be understood that the properties to be searched are not Maori land. The pakeha owners were most co-operative and no practical difficulty existed to stop a search as soon as it could be organised. No practical difficulties, perhaps, but there were moral ones. Dr Duff said firmly that he would have nothing to do with the project without the goodwill and absolute approval of the Maori people of the district whose ancestors had put the carvings in the swamps. I was priviledged to be present at several of the meetings at which Dr Duff met the Maori people of Waitara and explained the objects of the search and asked for their co-operation. While his friendly manner and obvious sincerity were convincing enough when linked with logical argument, few Maoris indeed would have been able to withstand for long the appeal of a pakeha scientist—and a distinguished one at that—who paid them the compliment of speaking to them solely in their own loved mother tongue. So it was decided that the Maori people had no objections. It was not decided quickly—in fact the whole of the organisation took about two years. The most searching question put to Dr Duff was that of an Ati-awa elder, Mr R. Watson, the gist of whose query was this: “If the old people put the carvings in the swamp with the idea of some day recovering them, I say seek them and place them in the museum. But if they put them there for ever, I say leave them there for ever. Can Dr Duff assure us that the carvings were put