368 THE LATEST NEWS. [CHAP. ix. 



southern island of New Zealand. In the second num- 

 ber of the " New Zealand Magazine," and in a paper 

 by the Rev. R. Taylor, on the Geology of New Zealand, 

 is the following statement : " Mr. Meurant, employed 

 by the government as native interpreter, stated to me 

 that in the latter end of 1813 he saw the flesh of the 

 Moa in Molyneux Harbour ; since that period he has 

 seen feathers of the same kind in the natives' hair. 

 They were of a black or dark colour, with a purple 

 edge, having quills like those of the Albatross in size, 

 but much coarser. He saw a Moa bone which reached 

 four inches above his hip from the ground, and as thick 

 as his knee, with flesh and sinews upon it. The flesh 

 looked like bull beef. The slaves, who were from the 

 interior, said that it was still to be found inland. The 

 natives told him that the one whose flesh he had seen 

 was a dead one, which they had found accidentally ; 

 that they had often endeavoured to snare them, but 

 without success. A man, named George Pauley, now 

 living in Foveaux Straits, told him he had seen the 

 Moa, which he described as being an immense monster, 

 standing about twenty feet high. He saw it near a 

 lake in the interior. Tt ran from him, and he also ran 

 from it. He saw its foot-marks before he came to the 

 river Tairi and the mountains. Thomas Chasseland, the 

 man who interpreted for Meurah, was well acquainted 

 with the Maori language. He also saw the flesh, and, 

 at first, they thought it was human."* 



Here is all the evidence of which we are at present 

 cognizant ; but is it not almost enough to start a party 

 for New Zealand in the hope of trapping, toiling, or 



* Quoted in the Gardener's Chronicle, Nov. 23, 1850. 



