Haast.— JJr//rA.s. 49 



failed to reveal their existence in these islands. Between the two fishes, or 

 whales, we have No. 2, which might represent a fishhook, and below the 

 snake, No. 5, a sword with a curved blade, whilst No. 6, in the same line 

 is one of those remarkable signs or letters. Advancing towards the right, 

 we reach a group which is of special interest to us, the figure, No. 9, which 

 is nearly a foot long, having all the appearance of a long-necked bird, 

 carrying the head as the cassowary and emu do, and as the moa has done. 

 If this figure does not represent a moa, it might be a reminiscence by 

 tradition of the cassowary. The figure is, unfortunately, not complete, as 

 only the portion of one leg has been preserved. The forked tail is, how- 

 ever, unnatural, and if this design should re^^resent the moa, I might 

 suggest that it was either a conventional way of drawing that bird, or 

 that it was already extinct when this representation was painted accord- 

 ing to tradition; in which latter case No. 11 might represent the taniwha, 

 or gigantic fabulous lizard which is said to have watched the moa. No. 8 

 is doubtless a quadruped, probably a dog, which, as my researches have 

 shown, was a contemporary of the moa, and was used also as food by 

 the moa-hunters. No. 10 is evidently a weapon, probably an adze or 

 tomahawk, and might, being close to the supposed bird, indicate the 

 manner in which the latter was killed during the chase. The post with 

 the two branches near the top (No. 12) finds a counterpart in the remnant 

 of a similar figure, not numbered, between the figures Nos. 3 and 9. They 

 might represent some of the means by which the moa was caught, or 

 indicate that it existed in open country between the forest. No. 13, under 

 which the rock in the central portion has scaled off, is, like No, 6, one of the 

 designs which resembles ancient oriental writing. Approaching the middle 

 portion of the wall, we find here a well-arranged group of paintings, the 

 centre of which has all the appearance of -a hat ornamented on the crown. 

 The rim of this broad- brimmed relic measures two feet across. The expert 

 of ancient customs and habits of the Malayan and South Indian countries 

 might perhaps be able to throw some light upon this and the surrounding 

 figures, Nos. 15 and 18, to which I can offer no palpable suggestion. From 

 No. 17, which is altogether three feet high, evidently issues fire or smoke ; 

 it therefore might represent a tree on fire, a lamx?, or an altar with incense 

 offering. If we compare this peculiar appearance with one of the figures 

 on the copy of the Takiroa Cave paintings, we find that it has the same 

 characteristic feature. The figure No. 15 is particularly well painted, and 

 the outlines are clearly defined, but I can make no suggestion as to its 

 meaning. In No. 19 we have doubtless the picture of a human being, who 

 is running away from No. 17, the object from the top of which issues fire 

 or smoke, and I need scarcely point out to you that this small figure is full 



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