CoLENSO. — 0)1 the Moa. 67 



Leaving Waiapu, and proceeding on by the coast towards tlie soutli, 

 I arrived at Poverty Bay, where the Eev. W. Wilhams resided. This 

 gentleman had had the good fortune to procure a nearly whole tibia of an 

 immense bird, without, however, the enth-e processes of either end. This 

 bone measured about eighteen inches in length, and was proportionably 

 thick. Mr. Wilhams wishing to send this unique relic to Oxford, I left a 

 pair of femora to accompany t, in order, if possible, to obtain from that 

 seat of learning some Hght on these increasingly interesting remains. 

 At Poverty Bay I made several enquiries after Moa bones, but to little 

 purpose, as I could not obtain any. 



Quitting Poverty Bay, and still travelling in a southerly dh'ection, I 

 soon came within sight of Whakapunake, the mountain celebrated as the 

 residence of the only surviving Moa. As natives lived about its base, 

 among whom my route lay, I looked forward with no small degree of 

 interest to the chance of obtaining some relics of the Moa in this 

 locality ; in this, however, I was disappointed. At the close of the second 

 day's travel we arrived at Te Eeinga (a ^^.llage situated at the foot of the 

 mountain), where, as opportunity offered, I enquired of the natives relative 

 to the Moa. They, in reply to my reiterated queries, said that he lived there 

 in the mountain, although they had never seen him ; still the Moa bones were 

 very commonly seen after floods occasioned by heavy rains, when they 

 would be washed up on the banks of gravel in the sides of the rivers and 

 exposed to then* view ; at this time, however, they had not any by them. I 

 offered large rewards for any that should be found hereafter, and which were 

 to be taken to Mr. Williams, at Poverty Bay. Here, as at Waiapu, no one 

 person could be found who possessed the hardihood positively to assert that 

 he had seen this Moa, although this neighbourhood had ever been the dwel- 

 ling-place of this tribe. The mountain, too, it appeared was by no means 

 unknown to them ; for, during a war bettveen themselves and the Urewera 

 tribe a few years ago, they had fled for refuge to their stronghold on the 

 top of Whakapunake, where they had hved for some time, and where many 

 of their relatives eventually fell into the hands of the enemy, who starved 

 them into a sm-render and took the place. Here, then, was still further 

 proof, if proof were wanting, that no such colossal animal could possibly 

 at this time be existing in this place. The spot, however, was well chosen 

 for the fiction of such a creatm-e's residence : a huge, table-topped and lofty 

 mountain, covered with primaeval forests of gloomy pines ; its brow singu- 

 larly adorned with a horizontal stratum of whitish sandstone, which ran 

 contmuously and precipitously for more than two miles. At the base of the 

 mountain ran the river Whangaroa, down which we paddled in canoes for 

 some distance. This river is a branch of the Waii'oa river, which disem- 

 bogues into Hawke's Bay. 



