AN ANECDOTE OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Grey River Argus, Issue 57, 24 May 1866, Page 3

AN ANECDOTE OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

The following amusing anecdote appears in a little volume of "Life in the ; Chatham Islands," by llr Hunt:— "An old man-of-war's man, tired of war's . alarms, came to this island,for the. purpose of laying his bones up in ordinaiy ; and, to solace his seclusion,. li 9 selected, a Maori woman for his partner ; she was ■■generally knoAvn- by the familiar name- of Jenny, and so. far as her gifts Avent, proved a thrifty plodding soul, and a valuable acquisition to the retired warrior ; bul increasing responsibility brought additional care ; poor Jenny Avas-visited by that troublesome scourge of her tribe, : the "hakihald." In great consternation, i her partner solicited my advice, making | out a Avoeful case for his old Avoman ; in fact, she Avas in Job's plight, covered AAith sores from head to foot,' aiid might haA'e scraped herself Avith a potsherd. At that time f eAV remedies were attainable at this part of the Avorld, but my impromptu prescription was to Avash the sore 3 Avith a solution of gunpowder. Alas ! little did 1 dream of the explosion that was to "follow. The directions we're, certainly clear and concise— a liquid solution. Unfortunately, hoAvever, poor Jenny made the gunpoAvder into a tolerably thick paste, put oil' all her clothing," cut" the hair from her head as short as possible, and then commenced rubbing in the paste layer upon layer, leaving no part of her body untouched, thus presenting the appearance -of an animated squib. She then crouched over the fire, turning round and round, until the application became pretty well dried in ; all at once, hoAvever, she came in contact Avith the fire, and the, 'explosion Avas instantaneous and teriffic ; a flash like lightning illumined her body, burning off land searing every wound and excresence— peeling her, in fact, as one Avoulcl peel an apple. With a teriffic yell, the poor creature fell upon the ground writhing in indescribable agony. The news' Avas communicated to me amidst shrieks 'of laughter by some Maoris, who Avert, eyeAvitnesses, but I could not sympathise in their merriment : so mounting old Toby, I rode round to visit the suffering patient. At- the doonvay I was very roughly acby the old veteran in 'phrases neither choice nor refined— r' By God,' said he, ' you have done-: a d d nice thing ; j^ou have blown my old woman's hide off.' Such in fact Avas the- case, although theyhad to thank themselves for the mishap. Poor Jenny lingered some time in great pain,_ but ultimately she came f ortli quite restored with a bran neAv epidermis, most .effectually cured of the abominable "hakihaki." This little anecdote may bo of some service to the medical profession, and furnish hints for the treatment of this disgusting disease."