98 Transactions. 
The chief readily gave me the bone for a little tobacco, and I afterwards 
sent it to Professor Owen by Sir Everard Home; this took place in the 
beginning of 1839, and some months later another bone of the Tarepo was . 
procured by a sailor in the same part, which was given to Mr. Rule, who 
forwarded it to Professor Owen some time before mine reached him, but I 
think I may justly claim to have been the first discoverer of the Moa. 
On our reaching Poverty Bay (Turanga) I learnt that they were constantly 
finding these huge birds’ bones. Mr. Williams soon after commenced a 
missionary station there, and a year or two later obtained a large number of 
these bones quite perfect. Some of them were forwarded to Dr. Buckland, 
and others to me, but one of those I received was a human bone. 
Early in 1843 I removed from the Bay of Islands to Wanganui, and my 
first journey was along the coast of Waimate. As we were resting on the 
shore near the Waingongoro Stream I noticed the fragment of a bone which 
reminded me of the one I found at Waiapu. I took it up and asked my 
natives what it was? They replied, “ A Moa’s bone, what else? look around 
and you will see plenty of them.” I jumped up, and, to my amazement, I 
found the sandy plain covered with a number of little mounds, entirely com- 
posed of Moa bones ; it appeared to me to be a regular necropolis of the race. 
I found the natives of the West Coast were totally ignorant of the name 
given on the other side of the island, the Tarepo. Tt was here I first heard 
of the word “Moa.” I was struck with wonder at the sight, but lost no time 
in selecting some of the most perfect of the bones, and then considered what 
was to be done with them and where to bestow them. I had a box in which 
my supplies for the journey were carried, this I emptied and filled with the 
bones instead, to the amazement of my followers, who exclaimed, “ What is 
he doing? What can he possibly want with those old Moa bones?” One 
suggested het rongoapea (to make into medicine perhaps) ; to this the others 
consented, saying, koia pea (most likely). 
This visit to the Waingongoro was the opening up of one of the most 
interesting fields of research for the naturalist. My enquiries after the Moa, 
and carrying off some of its bones, caused much talk among the natives. I 
was most anxious to obtain a skull of the bird. I was told there was a great 
one in a swamp some miles inland. I promised a large reward for it, and 
though they said I should have it they did not keep their word. 
In reply to my questions about its size they told me it was quite as large 
as that of a horse, a sure proof that the bird had never been seen by any of 
those I spoke to. They, however, told me that these huge birds were 
formerly very abundant before the Europeans came, but they gradually 
diminished and finally disappeared. Their nests were made of the refuse of 
fern-root on which they fed, and they used to conceal themselves in the 
