430 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



several other different implements, were also ploughed up by 

 Mr. Bishop on his property. The fern-beater is now in the 

 possession of Mr. A. W. Beaven, of Christchurch, who readily 

 permitted me to have it photographed. The kumete is carved 

 out of miro-pine, and measures in length 15 in., breadth 8 in., 

 depth 8 in. Although somewhat injured, it is an admirable 

 specimen of Ngatimamoe handicraft. 



As already stated, the country on the upper parts of the 

 Canterbury Plains between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers 

 was formerly populated by the extinct Ngatimamoe and pre- 

 ceding tribes. During the progress of settlement many stone 

 implements have been found throughout the area. The per- 

 fectly finished argillite chisel (8) was found at Mayfield by 

 Mr. Kellahan, jun. Mr. G. L. Twentyman also found at 

 Mayfield a curious narrow adze made from the casing of the 

 greenstone. Ten years ago Mr. John Hood, of Mount Somers, 

 showed me two large axes, one of basalt the other of Mount 

 Somers sandstone, found on his property. Mr. Price, sen., 

 gave me several broken implements of basalt which he dis- 

 covered on the site of an unexplored old Maori encampment 

 at Mount Somers. Several other valuable stone tools of great 

 age have also been discovered at Mount Somers, but these I 

 have not seen. Two years ago an interesting discovery was 

 made on Mrs. Campbell's farm, a few miles below Mount 

 Somers. It consisted of nine finely finished fish-knives, all of 

 one size and shape. Six were flaked from the same block of 

 argillite, and three from a reddish-yellow chert. They were 

 the finest knives of their class I have seen. But, unfortunately, 

 before I visited Mrs. Campbell to see them the children had 

 destroyed them all except two, one of which is now in the 

 Canterbury Museum. Mrs. Joli, of Springburn, six miles 

 north of Mount Somers, possesses two finely polished broad- 

 faced tools — an adze and an axe — of one size, found in the 

 bush, flaked from a block of beautifully mottled greenstone. 

 The Rev. Mr. Westbrook, F.G.S., found a broken greenstone 

 chisel lying exposed on the limestone rock in the gorge of the 

 Ashburton River. I have heard of several other valuable im- 

 plements having been found in the Springburn district, some 

 of them now being in Mr. Muirhead's possession, but I have 

 not examined them. Many more will probably be discovered 

 when the old encampments are explored, and as settlement 

 advances. 



During the formation of new roads twenty years ago at 

 the old Spread Eagle, on the North Ashburton Stream, some 

 large stone implements were ploughed up by the contractors, 

 and were left lying on the side of the newly formed road. A 

 workman employed on the work informed me that there were 

 ''seven or eight of them," and that they were all "rough, 



