McDonnell. — On the Ancient Moa-huniers. 439 



panied Sir George to the mouth of the Waingongoro Eiver, 

 where were the redoubts held by the Imperial troops. Here 

 Sir George met Wiremu Hukanui, a chief of the Ngatiruanui, 

 and supposed to be neutral ; he was also a relative of Paipai. 



After the talk was over Wiremu left, when a discussion 

 arose about the moa, and Kawaua Paipai stated that in his 

 youth he had joined in hunting the moa on the Waimate 

 Plains, which are close by. On being questioned, he gave a 

 description of how they used to hunt and destroy this grand 

 old bird, which was as follows: "The young men," he went 

 on to say, " stationed themselves in various parts of the plains, 

 and when a moa was started it was pursued by one of these 

 parties with wild shouts, and sticks, and stones, until they 

 were tired, when another detachment would take up the 

 running, and so on, until the moa was exhausted, when a chief 

 would administer the couj) da grace." Paipai said that great 

 efforts were made to drive it into the high fern, the more easily 

 to tire it out. "I," continued the old warrior, "was a 

 youngster at that time, and often used to join in the chase." 



I forget now whether it was Sir George or one of the 

 ofl&cers who expressed doubts as to the absolute correctness of 

 what Paipai had stated, thinking he was simply relating what 

 he had heard, which doubt roused the old man's ire. He got 

 up, and, casting his eye around as if seeking aid to his memory, 

 said, " What I have told is true ; and we used to bring them 

 here to our fisliing-village, and cook them in large ovens made 

 expressly for them. Let some men bring spades, and I will 

 show them where to uncover the ovens." Some six or seven 

 fatigue-men were assembled, and Paipai pointed out where 

 they v\'ere to clear away the sand. After shovelling away 

 some 6ft. square of sand, 3ft. in depth, a stone about the size 

 of a 321b. shot was turned up, blackened and burnt by fire, and 

 then a number of other stones that had evidently been used 

 for cooking, until a Maori oven some oft. in diameter was un- 

 covered, containing over and under the blackened stones heaps 

 of broken and partly-charred moa-bones — portions of skulls, 

 and huge thigh-bones, which latter Paipai said had been 

 broken, so that the oil, or fat, could be sucked out of them. 

 The ring-bones of the throat, or gullet, over an inch in 

 diameter, were there in plenty — like curtain rings. I threaded 

 a number on a flaxstick. More ovens were uncovered, and 

 Sir George obtained some good specimens. I think Dr. Spencer, 

 now in Napier, got a number, as did many others. 



Paipai described the plumage, which he said was of a brown 

 colour, and unlike that of the kiwi, the feathers being larger 

 and coarser, and more like those of the emu. He said the moa 

 fought fiercely when brought to bay, and that it struck out 

 with its feet, but was easily killed with clubs. 



