INTERPROVINCIAL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 455, 29 November 1875, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

AUCKLAND NEWS. We take the following items from our Auckland exchanges of the 22nd and 23rd instant: — Speaking of the proposed visit of Sir George Grey to Tawhiao, the Waikato limes eaVB : —» Some time ago a message of invitation was forwarded by the King to Sir George; and his half-brothers Te flonana and Tuhi and the Chief Paikia are with a large number of natives at present assembled at Hikurangi, some fifteen miles from Alexandra, awaiting the coming of Sir George. These natives Bay that there is no political significance in the intended visit, and that the two principal personages desire to meet as old acquaintances for a merely friendly rubbing of noses. This may possibly be the case on the part of the natives, but Sir George has other objects in view than mere nose-rubbiDg, and would doubtless seek to improve the occasion for political purposes." Tbe Waikato Times, referring to the deputation to Ur Pollen ou the opening up of the interior, says :—The opening up of a large quantity of valuable land to settlement towards the centre of the Island, not only works out the solution of the great Northern difficulty, but will add considerably towards feeding the traffic on the railroad now being extended to Hamilton. Another and a very great benefit which will be derived by this district from the opening of the road, will be the diversion of the'traffic to the Hot Springs at Rotorua, from the East Coast lines, through Waikato. When Quick's coaches can run right through from Mercer, Ngaruawahia, or Hamilton, as the case may be, to the Sprngs, visitors will prefer coming through direct from Auckland, instead of encountering the sea voyage to Tauranga, and proceeding thence by coach. Last summer there were no less than 167 passengers passed through as far as the coaches went, performing the remainder of the journey on horseback, but this number would have been largely increased could they have been coached through direct after leaving the railway terminus. When once this road is completed we may expect to see a line of coaches put on between this settlement and the Hot Springs. With reference to the discovery of large quantities of Moa bones near Wangarei, the Cross snys : A few months ago Mr George Thome, jun., found on one of the sandy beaches near the mouth of the Pataua River, some nine or ten miles north of Bream Head, a number of moa bones, respecting which the Maoris in the neighbourhood knew nothing, nor had they any tradition respecting them. This discovery opened up a new phase of the question. Did the moa live where his bones were found, or had the bones, in this instance, been carried from tbe Poverty Bay or other districts ? On the bones found by Mr Thome being brought to Auckland and examined at > the Museum, it was decided that Mr Thome should return to the Wangarei district, accompanied by Mr Cheesemau, I»\L.S., curator of the Museum, for the purpose of more thoroughly examining the district, and to ascertain if possible, whether it could be proved beyond dispute whether the moa had inhabited the districts to the north of Auckland. A few weeks ago they left Auckland, and on Saturday last they returned with a quantity of moa bones, some human bones, bones of seals, whales, &c, which had been found in the district examined. They found in every sandy bay north of Bream Head, as far north at Nguguru, traces of the existence of the moa having been contemporaneous with man. There was also abundant evidence that the district had then been more thickly inhabited than it is at present. " Maori ovens " were found in hundreds in almost every little bay. Alongside of these ovens were found the bones of the moa, together with chips of obsidian, whose sharp edges had been used by the primitive inhabitants of these islands to cut the flesh of the moa from the bones. At one of these deserted settlements was found a large block of obsidian from which the smaller chips had evidently been hammered off. The finding of the pieces of obsidian in this district also proves that the inhabitants of those days had been accustomed to go the sea, as obsidian iB not found nearer than the Great Barrier or Mayor's Islands. In these ancient settlements were found a considerable number of stone adzes, of various forms, some of them in good condition, while others seem to have been rolled about with the tide for a long time, as they present the appearance of being much water-worn. The place where the moa remains were found in greatest

abundance was at the mouth of the Pataua Hiver. A'ong with the moa bones were found small colle ti'-nsof good sized pebbles, which are cot jrctured to have been the " gravel " which the birds swallowed to enable them to grind their food, just as poultry and birds of the present day pick up sand and other gritty material to answer a similar purpose. There has not yet been sufficient time to thoroughly examine the bones, to see whether the 40 metatarsi found belong to as many different moas, or whether they are the representatives of only 20. In either case, the existence of the moa north of Auckland has been proved beyond dispute; and the other sandy beaches southward of Wangarei River, and those northward of Nguguru, should be examined to ascertain whether traces of the great wingless birds are to be found in those districts. The largest bird of which bones have yet bt;en found near Wangarei, wou'd give a height of 10ft. There were also found large number of human bones, buried in the sand, of which the present race of Maoris knew nothing. Seven skulls have been brought to town, and the complete skeleton of a very tall man, which were found buried in the sand. The skeleton shows that the man of whom it formed part had stood about 6ft 4in in height. The skull is very small. The region of the perceptive faculties is very poorly developed, but the portion of the skull where phrenologists say the faculty of caution is located, seems to have been very fully developed. Judging by the jaw, however, it would seem that its owner had belonged to a different race of men than the present Maoris. The lower jaw is of the extreme prognathous type, This is a feature not common amongst the Maoris, and when there is any tendency in this direction it is usually of a very subdued character. It is therefore possible that the skeleton now in the Museum may belong to the race of beings who inhabited these islands previous to the advent of the Maoris. Where these remains of a by-gone age were found was all covered with a dense vegetation seven years ago, but heavy stocking with cattle, and occasional fires, have laid the sandy surface of the soil bare, and the wind acting on the dry loose sand, has levelled many of these small sand dunes several feet, and thus exposed to view evidences of ages so remote, that all recollection of them have ever beeu lost even to tradition- The expedition has also been fruitful in other respects than the above. Several deposits of what appears to be a rich limestone has been found, and samples of manganese brought to town from quantities to be seen on the surface sufficient to load many vessels. Among the other relics of the ancient people found was what appears to have been once used as a flute or some musical instrument. It is made of bone, and is worthy of inspection.