422 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Parata is also the name of that part of a war-canoe that 

 projects out at the bow, beneath the image or figure-head, and 

 meets the rising waves ; near this was the coveted seat or stand 

 of the hero or warrior chief. Thus, the old song : — 



" To stand firmly at the bow of the canoe (is to be) renowned." 



The term is also commonly used in their mournful poetical 

 laments and dirges over their dead chiefs, in these (or similar) 

 words : — 



"The eddy-squall is over ; the storm is passed away; 

 The Parata is gone ; the big fish has left its habitation." 



Art. L. — Notes on the Derelict Ship in Facile Harbour, Dusky 



Bay. 



By T. M. Hocken, M.R.C.S., F.L.S. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 14th June, 1887.] 



Plate XXI. 



Recently discovered though New Zealand is, the frosts of time 

 have already commenced the graving of her antiquities, and to 

 almost the oldest of these I beg to draw your attention for a few 

 minutes this evening. The last remnants of an old wrecked vessel 

 are still to be seen, at favourable times, lying in Facile Harbour, 

 Dusky Bay. Numerous and various have been the conjectures 

 as to the how, whence, and where of this ocean waif, which, if 

 my conclusions are correct, has been resting in its grave for near 

 upon a hundred years. In the endeavour to unravel the riddle, 

 which, sphinx-like, this old vessel propounds, I venture to lay 

 before the Institute a few notes, the result of inquiries from 

 many trustworthy people, and of yet further research. The last 

 discussion with which I am acquainted appeared in some of the 

 December numbers of the " Southland Times" for 1882, under 

 the striking heading, " The Madagascar Mystery." From this 

 it appears that the Madagascar was a ship bound from Sydney 

 to England 36 years ago, in the good old days of early New 

 South Wales and Victorian diggings, and that she carried a 

 valuable freight of gold. Nothing was ever heard of her. Not- 

 withstanding this, it is stated that the discontented crew muti- 

 nied, overpowered the captain and officers, ran the vessel into 

 Dusky Bay, and stole and buried the boxes of gold, marking the 

 cache by driving a pickaxe deep into an adjoining tree. The 

 crew, reduced to three by privation and exposure, managed to 

 reach Lake Wakatipu, where they were hospitably treated by the 



