White. — A Maori Pa at Lake Te Anau. 515 



chisel. . . . However, their knowing that we had w/iO?6 to 

 sell was a proof that their connections extended as far north 

 as Cape Kidna,ppers, which was distant no less than forty-five 

 leagues, for that was the southernmost place on this side 

 the coast (east) where we had any traffic with the natives." 

 Cape Campbell is the other side of Cook Strait, being the 

 north-east cape of the South Island, whereas the Kidnappers 

 is on the east coast of the North Island. 



This treasure trove of the old Maori village had most 

 likely been left hidden in one of the thatched roofs, and 

 the burning had caused them to fall to the ground, where they 

 remained, as I saw them. At one spot seemed to be a work- 

 shop for making stone implements, as there were numerous 

 scales of a peculiar light greenstone, clouded as it were with 

 a glassy look — not the genuine greenstone, for this was brittle, 

 and inclined to fall into useless flakes ; yet seemingly it had 

 been put to some use by these people, probably for want of a 

 better material. 



Who the inhabitants of this pa were I have no knowledge, 

 or why they should, presumably, have left the coast where 

 fish and mutton-birds were in plenty and come some eighty 

 miles to this inland sea, unless it was for a change of fare, 

 such as large eels, flappers (young ducks), kiwi, weka, kakapo 

 (night-parrot, _2J0 = night) ; and in this district w^as obtained one 

 of the few living specimens of that rare bird the Notornis, of 

 which neither I nor my friends the Hankinsons ever saw a 

 sign when residing in these parts. Two specimens of Notornis 

 were found here some years after we left — a live bird and the 

 skeleton of another. Possibly these people of the pa were 

 natives from Eiverton, who came up the Waiau Eiver in the 

 summer time, returning to the coast for the winter season. 

 That they trafficked with the " old whalers " these remains of 

 iron tools give evidence. 



I should suppose that Maoris were living in this lake- coast 

 village some fifty years ago (yet there is no reason why the 

 time may not extend to eighty years), which would give 

 seventeen years previous to my visit to the remains. The 

 buildings would remain most probably intact, being well 

 thatched, till the white pioneer settlers set fire to the sur- 

 rounding country, and so destroyed this relic of the past. 



In 1859, and ten years subsequently, no Maoris came 

 inland to either Lakes Te Anau or Wakatipu, and I never 

 saw sign of their previous occupation other than as mentioned 

 above. 



