240 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL society. [Feb. 23, 
some deep openings made near the base of the ancient cliffs, under the 
Pa Ohawe (at a, a, a, &c.; see also No. 3) ; and at the same level as 
Fig. 4. 
Sea-shore. 
2. Volcanic conglomerate. 
3. Finely laminated sand. 
4. Blue clay, with recent marine shells. 
a. Bone-bed exposed at the foot of the cliffs, on which is the Pa Ohawe. 
h. Part dug away. 
that on which were the strewn fragments of bones I have mentioned, 
I came to the regular bone-deposit. The bones were mostly perfect in 
shape, but so soft, that if grasped strongly they would change, as if 
by magic, into clay. Unfortunately the natives soon caught sight of 
my operations, and came down in shoals, trampling on the bones I 
had carefully extracted and lain out to dry. My patience was tried 
to the utmost, and to avoid blows I was obliged to retreat and leave 
them in full possession of the field ; and to digging they went in right 
earnest, and quickly made sad havoc. No sooner was a bone per- 
ceived than a dozen pounced upon it, and began scratching away the 
sand as if for their lives; and the bone was of course smashed to 
pieces. Iam only surprised that I ultimately succeeded in getting 
any entire. . 
“The natives affirm that this sand-flat to Rangatapu was one of 
the places first dwelt upon by their ancestors; and this seems not 
unlikely, for in digging in various places I found small circular beds 
of ashes and charcoal and bones, very ancient, and such as are gene- 
rally left by the native fires that have been long lighted in the same 
spot. Fragments of obsidian, native flint, two fishing-line stones and 
a whalebone meri (a sort of weapon) were also dug up. The natives 
told me, and their assertion was borne out by the appearance of the 
place, that within their memory the entire area had been covered by 
drift-sand ; in fact, the bones seemed always to be imbedded on or 
beneath an old surface-level. Columns of vertebrze when uncovered 
were lying zn situ and perfect, with, in rare instances, skull and pelvis ; 
but to preserve these precious relics was impossible while beset with 
the hordes of Maoris ; and [ could not drive or bribe them away. 
“The largest femur, tibia and fibula were lying in their natural 
connection—the leg slightly bent at the knee ; a chain of vertebrze of 
the largest size was discovered near them, and I doubt not the whole 
belonged to the same colossal bird. You will readily imagine how 
exasperating it was to me to see specimen after specimen destroyed 
before my eyes, with no possibility of preventing it. From your 
ignorance of the excessive obstinacy and mulishness of the natives, I 
fear your indignation will be directed against me; but if so, let me 
assure you, you are indeed in error. All that man could do I did to 
dissuade them from turning oryctologists or paleeornithists; but to 
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