88 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



swimming, in the water there, that looked in the distance 

 like a young colt"'' with its head and neck above the surface. 



The place itself is isolated, surrounded by high, broken, 

 cliffy banks that are deeply wooded, and rather dilficult of 

 access, the water having a narrow outlet into the Eiver Mana- 

 watu. 



This newly-repeated narration of that strange event of 

 1893, together with the simple, honest, unpretending manner 

 in which it was told, and the knowledge the residents had of 

 the character of the relator, made such an impression on the 

 minds of some of my friends who heard it, that three of them 

 (strong and determined, and used to heavy bush-travelling) 

 arranged to visit that out-of-the-way spot the next day, the 

 w^eather, too, being fine at the time. They did so, and, after 

 much and heavy exertion, descended the cliffs, and explored 

 pretty much of the shores and surroundings of the lagoon, but 

 saw nothing of any strange animal, and, after extricating 

 themselves with some difficulty, they returned late at night to 

 Dannevirke. 



While we were conversing with Mr. Slade, I expressed my 

 opinion that the animal seen by him in the water might be 

 one of the seals of the New Zealand seas, which I had seen in 

 former years on our sea-shores, and whose hair was also of 

 that colour described by him ; but how a marine mammal 

 should have found its way so far inland, and pai-ticularly 

 through and against the current of the rough and rapid waters 

 of the notorious Manawatu Gorge (the only way of access), 

 seemed an insurmountable obstacle. However, I offered him 

 a good round sum for the animal, or for any pretty large 

 portion of it. Mr. Eobertshawe, also present, related the 

 capture of one of those seals far up in the Eiver Waikato 

 several years ago. 



In writing to Sir James Hector shortly afterwards (on 

 other matters) I mentioned this phenomenon, and, in reply, 

 Sir James says, " Your tanuvha is no doubt Stenorhynchus 

 leptonyx. Several years ago I heard the same tale from the 

 same district, and on inquiry found it to be so. Ten years 

 ago a taniwha was captured in a lagoon near Hamilton on the 

 Waikato, and exhibited in a butcher's shop, and it proved to 

 be a Stenorhynchus." 



An instance of the capture of one of these marine animals 

 I may mention, as it came under my own observation, and 

 the circumstances attending its seizure were strange, if not 

 unique. It happened early in the forties. I was then resid- 

 ing at Waitangi, on the immediate southern shore of Hawke's 



* Lest this should seem strange, I menlion in a note that Maori 

 horses, half wild, are very numerous in tliose parts. 



