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In October 1882 I was attending the Native Land Court at Cambridge professionally, and in 
order to enable the native tribes to attend a projected meeting between the Minister for Native 
Affairs and the “Maori King” at Whatiwhatihoe, I had applied to the Court for a week’s adjourn- 
ment, which was accordingly granted. This gave me the long-desired opportunity for a Kiwi-lmnt 
in the celebrated Pirongia ranges. Owing to our strained relations with the “ King party, no 
European had been admitted into this part of the country for many years. It was necessary there- 
fore to obtain King Tawhiao’s consent before starting on the expedition. This was readily obtained 
at a private interview with the old chief, who assured me that, owing to the long closure, “ the 
mountain was now full of Kiwis.” I then saw Keremeneta Ngataierua, a well-known Kiwi-huiffer 
and the owner of well-trained dogs, and made arrangements for an expedition on the morrow. is 
party had already been out and caught a few birds, bringing in also three chicks and an egg, con 
taining an embryo just ready for extrusion. I purchased the egg, and one of the women present then 
produced a newly-hatched chick from her bosom (where it was kept for warmth) and gave it to ine. 
This young bird seemed at first very weakly and on being turned loose in my room assumed t e 
posture shown in my sketch, and remained perfectly motionless till darkness came on, when it 
assumed quite a lively rd/e— running about the room and gently tapping with its bill, after tie 
manner of the old bird, as already described. i v.* 
After sketching the likeness of this defenceless chick (which proved to be a male) I sacrificed his 
little life on the sacred altar of science and made a pretty cabinet specimen of the skin (see woodcut 
^ At noon on Tuesday, Nov. 1, we had completed all our arrangements for a week’s sojourn in the 
bush and started, fully equipped, for a small kainga, about a mile from Alexandra, where we found 
our men and dogs awaiting us. The former consisted of an experienced Kiwi-hunter, Wiiemii Rihia 
by name, and two young natives who were to carry our provisions and make themselves general y 
useful. The dogs were small black mongrels, one of them having something of the colley in him. 
My companion was Mr. G. Lindauer, the well-known Austrian artist, who fully shared my enthusiasm 
about a Kiwi-hunt. Some little time was lost in arranging terras with the men and a tariff for the 
use of the dogs. The latter was ultimately fixed at five shillings for every adult Kiwi taken and 
something less for the young ones and eggs. It was 3 p.m. before we got fairly started on our expedi- 
tion. The central cone of Pirongia, which encloses an ancient volcanic crater, towers up to a height 
of 2800 feet above the level of the sea, and is clothed with dense vegetation to its very summit. The 
ascent commenced at once, and in less than an hour we had reached the site of the ancient 
Piromna pa, the earthworks of which were still distinctly traceable, indicating fortifications of a very 
formidable kind in the olden time. From this point we obtained a grand panoramic view of the 
Waikato lands— the theatre of the late war between the British troops and the Maoris, lasting over 
several years and costing much “blood and treasure.” Away to the right, standing up in bold re let 
ao-ainst the sky, was Kakepuku, in the form of a natural pyramid, and, in the distance beyond, the 
loner central range of Maungatautaii, marking the ancestral home of the Ngatiraukawa. Far 
down below us, winding through the plains and showing itself at intervals like a broad streak of 
molten silver, was the picturesque Waipa river, bounding the “King’s territory” and spanned, in 
the direct line of our view, by the new bridge leading to Whatiwhatihoe, recently opened by the 
Native Minister, and named by the king, in a symbolic way, Tawhara-kaiatua. Away to the extreme 
right looking hazy blue in the afternoon light, were the heights of Kangitoto, where, according to 
our native guides, there exists another Kiwi preserve ; and far beyond again could be seen the snow- 
clad tons of Tongariro and Ruapehu, the giants of the north. In the deep gullies around and in 
front of ns clumps of native bush in all its endless variety filled in the view, the evei-piesent tree eui 
with its lofty crown of spreading fronds being the predominant feature. Groves of these beautiful 
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