﻿(34 Transactions. — Miscellaneo^is. 



expresses little surprise at their escape, and describes the so-called redoiibt as 

 a most miserable affair. In every respect the utmost looseness appears to have 

 been observed in regard to them, and their moderation on the occasion of their 

 departure is still a matter of wonder. The tidal wave did much damage to 

 this settlement also, and the sea has since been encroaching rapidly on the 

 narrow strip of level land between the hills and high water mai'k. He was 

 fortunate enongh to obtain here an ancient Moriori stone clnb, of which he 

 has sent a drawing. These weapons are now extremely rare, only one or two 

 having previously been obtained. He describes it as having been manufac- 

 tured from stone found on the island, rather rovigh in finish and peculiar in 

 form. He also obtained one of their primitive fish-hooks, made from the 

 Pope's-eye bone of the seal. These imjjlements are also now very rare. In 

 the latter part of July he left the main island for Pitt's Island, which he 

 reached on the 29th. Here he was most kindly received by Mr. Hunt's family. 

 "He noticed that wherever the tidal wave had impinged on the beach the old 

 accximulations of sea-sand had been completely washed away, and that a gi-eat 

 number of slips had since taken place in the hills adjoining the shore. At 

 Waikari he found a considerable quantity of fossils and plant impressions, 

 but of what age he does not mention. He has, however, collected largely, and 

 no doubt these collections will enable the age and character of the deposits to 

 be determined. In August he again visited the main island, chiefly for the 

 purpose of inquiring into the traditions of the Moriori inhabitants. They are 

 now very few in number, and he found that, with the exception of four or five 

 old men, they were utterly ignorant on the subject of their origin. The infor- 

 mation he obtained leads him to believe that the Morioris are a mixed i-ace, 

 descended from the union of Maoris, who had reached the islands many 

 generations ago from New Zealand, with an aboriginal race by whom they 

 were then occupied. These aboriginal people are represented as having been 

 taller and more robust than the Maoris, but seeing that the latter are them- 

 selves a robust and powerful race, I think this may be doubted. As my son 

 is collecting a large number of skulls from old burying places on the islands, 

 no doubt some opinion on this point, and also as to any diflference between 

 the aboriginal and the mixed race may be arrived at. He also states that 

 the present people represent that their Maori ancestors came originally to 

 New Zealand from Hawaiki, wherever that may be ; that when they came 

 to the Chatliams they brought with them the kumera (fyoncea tuherculataj, 

 and haraJca ( Corynocarpus IcevigataJ, but that the former did not thrive, 

 owing to the moistness of the climate. He finds the karaka growing abun- 

 dantly in the immediate neighbourhood of the various old settlements, but 

 not in the general bush of the islands, which gives colour to the state- 

 ment of its comparatively recent introduction. They further state that their 



