176 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



shelter near a waterfall, about four miles and a half from Hyde, 

 the following things : — 



(1.) A kete, or bag, with a folding flap like the flap of an 

 envelope, with a cord at the point of the flap of plaited fibre 

 8ft. long to wind round the bag as a fastening. The bag is 

 about 15in. across and Sin. in depth, with the upper edges 

 neatly finished. The surface is ornamented with three brown 

 longitudinal lines about lin. wide. The flap is ornamented in 

 the same manner, but in the other direction. There is no join 

 in any part, the whole being woven in one piece. 



(2.) Inside this were two very large hanks of fine cord, as 

 even as if made by the best salmon-line maker. I should 

 think there would be 700 or 800 yards in the whole lot. Each 

 hank was about 2ft. long. 



Next was a piece of very soft white tappa-cloth, 6ft. long 

 a.nd 18in. wide at one end, tapering to a point ; also an 

 irregular strand of lace-bark, about 5ft. long. 



The next thing was a strip of woven matting, 8in. wide 

 and 7ft. long, of evenly-woven strips a little more than r&in. 

 wide. One side of this is dull and the other side bright- 

 yellow, the material still retaining the cuticle of the leaf. 



Also a belt or sash of soft grass (?) of a brilliant yellow- 

 colour, but at the back the bright shining surface has been 

 removed. The yellow central part is 5in. wide, with a narrow 

 border on each side about ^in. wide, in which the two colours 

 are alternated, the strips being produced so as to form a fringe 

 on each side 4in. wide. The scarf is 7ft. long, and has a very 

 pretty appearance. 



The last is a small mat made of two strips, about llin. 

 wide. It has a narrow border, and the strips are frayed into 

 a fringe l^in. wide. The length of the mat is about 4ft. 6in. 



The whole of the articles are spotless, and in perfect 

 preservation, and look as if they had been made but yesterday 

 by Samoans. The finder states that they were wrapped up 

 in some old flax mats that fell to pieces and were neglected. 

 When he returned for these fragments the wind had blown 

 them into an abyss, and they could not be recovered. 



The whole, probably, had been procured from one of the 

 early whaling-ships by some unfortunate Maori, who, having 

 hidden his treasures in the cave, died without leaving instruc- 

 tions about his property. 



Skeleton at Stewart Island. 

 On a recent visit to Stewart Island I found a skeleton 

 buried in a sand cliff at the "Neck." It was in a sitting 

 position, with the knees drawn up, and its head resting on its 

 right hand, the other hand being on the left knee. On lifting 

 the head I found three well-worked bone fishhook-barbs in the 

 palm of the hand. 



