SKELETON UNEARTHED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 8

SKELETON UNEARTHED

AT HAPPY VALLEY. Whilst inspecting some of the building sections in Happy Valley, near the beach on Monday afternoon, Mr. Harry Phipps, of- the staff of the Bank of New South Wales, saw among tho gravelly, sand what ho took to be a smooth round', whitq stone. ! On stooping, to pick it up,- ho discoveicd that it was a human skull, and further that it was lying in proper' relation to a complete skeleton. He did not stop to unearth tho whole.of the skeleton, but extricated the skull and 'jaw-bones, and brought them into town by way of substantiating .his story with the i.police.. Mr. Phipps stated that the skeleton was lying buried at a spot about 30ft. only back from the road, and some ten to twelve feet abovo its level, quite near to the junction of tho Bay lload with tho road that leads up Happy Valley. The conclusion ho came to was that it was an old skeleton, as there was not tho slightest vestigo of clothing about the bones, which were of a hue {lenoting age. Inspector Hendroy, of the Police, to whom the skull was submitted yesterday, stated that it was probably a very old one, and as it' was rather small he thought it was the skull either of a youth .or a woman, as it was too small .to be that of the average man, and too large for that of a child. He was inclined to the belief that the skeleton was that of a Native, probably buried at Happy Valley before Wellington was Wellington. It was customary for tho Maoris to bury their dead near tho son-side, and skeletons had been found about tho -tide-marks at Lyall Bay, Seatoun, and Karaka Bay. Either that or the body had been cast ashore, and time and the winds had buried it in the sands that fringe the crescent curve of tho littlo bay. There have been several wrecks in the' bay since Wellington was settled, and it may ho assume that if the spot is dangerous to "wind-jammers" it was not very safo for tho-Maori oanoes of the people who wcro hero beforo the white man. 10-12 "AUSTIN." QMALL Foilr-soator, completely overhauled and repainted, everything in first-class order. This is a serviceable light Car, with lowest running costs in tyres and petrol. Particulars from SCOTT MOTOR AGENCY, Lower Cuba Street, Wellington,