THE QUEST OF THE HUIA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 920, 13 September 1910, Page 4

THE QUEST OF THE HUIA.

:#' ;'';■;./;A,FRTJITIiESS TRIP, 'if •.^•■; : .'. : Mr. Edgai Stead-.returned; to. Wellington', yesterday, froni ■■the yback. country' of the-Upper Rangitikei, /where; he .has.'been for- hulas ,to place) in the, .Gov-; efhrheni sanctuary 1 for Native, birds; at Little Barrier,lsland, .The quest,was unsuccessful.' "Not a single huia was -heard or seen. The party crossed the Rangitikei River .at'Papatarinuku, where it-is : only, about 12 feet wide,-flowing-pendicular rocks. ; The crossing was effect ed by means of a pole resting ,on the.xocks; on'either side.', Papatarinuku'i is: eleven miles..from Mo'awhango. -:Mr. Stead and his companions (Mr.'-Piri Batleyvand two: Maoris), then went' along the; south-west side of Mount Aorangi, .cutting their -own' track in the .bush,; and -:• carrying- their, oamping outfit.'. They . were in; /the bush ten days, but.owing to the laborious char r , acter of the travelling, and the bad : ; weather; they ; only': penetrated.-about: four miles.,' Another speoial /difficulty ."of ■ the trip was the impossibility of getting from settlers in- the ;neighbourhood, : or -from maps or other ..sources, the topographical information that. was required., If. .the party wanted to know where -a stream could be - forded, ox whether there ivas water: at a prospective':camping ground, the only thing.toido, was to go, and:see. -Huias: were'.plentiful in tho.district a" few years ago, but: had: been: Tuthlessly destroyed.' Mr. • Stead; 'still thinks;' the ,huia .is',as likely-, to' be.found in -the: dis.triot' from which;.he has just' returned as anywhere eke in New.Zealand, and.he hopes to make .'another-, in.' the same-Tegion next March, or April.. -He. trill- then take -another'route,',which he coiild not follow on .his late..trip : .owihg to ■heavy, rain and snow. V- ,;;'.,'.,■,■ . .Mr.'.Stead left foi'.the 'south:last ;Mght.