MUTTON-BIRDING

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1929, Page 8

MUTTON-BIRDING

_*> little known industry. ACTIVITIES IN THE SOUTH. THREE MONTHS ON ISOLATED ISLANDS. Few poople, especially those in the more northern parts of New /calami, are able to gain any authentic information on an industry peculiar to Southland and Tasmania alone, employing ‘well over 300 Maoris for two or three months in every year—that ol muttonbirding. Most rtf us recognise the mutton-bird when it has been heated by the cook, hut have little idea of ils habits in its native state or the means employed to snare them. This a O.ll s excursionists have only recently ieturned from the Titi Islans, the Islands south of and adjacent to Stew- ( art Islands arc called by the Maoris, j and a special correspondent of the, “Press” was able to collect some vain-J able and interesting information. j When in 18154 the Native customary owners, by deed rtf cession, ceded Steware Island, with all the large and small adjacent islands, to the Crown, certain of the islands were reserved under tho n retention of the Government, for mut-lon-birdjng purposes for the N« fc,vo vendors and their successors. Ivieh island has a history of its own and ’much excitement prevails when t ie ,-edits of Natives to take birds are in dispute, for substantial cheques are earned bv the Natives on their annua trips thither. The parties concerned nriue over feuds, chiefs, and relationship dating hack as far as 300 years, ncro In earlier years much trouble: was caused by Natives without, ances- . tral rights trespassing on the isdauds, | ~l lt i n February, 1010. a special Native 1 and Court sat at Invercargill for the - purpose rtf deciding who were the rbditful beneficiary owners and matters were finally settled. Again in i<)22 another special sitting was > e 1 to determine the interests of those who were not satisfied with tho decisions criven in 1010. The latter Court Rine certain rights to those who could pro p both ancestral rights and right h> long occupation. The mutton-bird industry itself flemished long before the advent of Emopeans to New Zealand. 1 lie soutliei n Maoris then exchanged the birds foi products of the North Island Moons, and in later years they were made of to obtain goods from the many Ming and sealing ships which, in those frequented Bluff and Stewart Island. To-day the Natives receive as i> from eightpence to tenpence much as tiom 1 h r , .1 _ per bird, so that it is possible fm the more active and experienced anion them to earn up to £0 a day noug mit the season. It will l« Entkeml from tho t«mhv , that only cortnin of tho thoif wives, and famiHos are por.mtt.wl „„ the islands. Th«e nnmlmvms «P t„ 830 leave for the islands a»nit tho first week in March, as it is dlega the islands to he occupied or visited out of season. , , The landing places on the islands aio vc y primitive- As they are required only very infrequently no stages hav been erected, and they have to ma the host of natural conditions Sonic nro on sandy honchos, whi'o others aro „„ stccih' nnsheitered chits, "Inch make thorn very difßm.lt to nc-otmU. in the continuous ocean swell, quently the, boats have to he oil th islands for days on end hollo,-e the passengers can be safely got ashore. Birds called passage birds aie co k( ed as payment for tlic transport oi 1 ■ Natives 'to and from the islands, the fare being somewhere in the vicinity o 200 birds if or each passenger. THE HOUSING. The Natives take up residence on their respective islands, prepared for three months’ isolation. The houses arc hardly worthy of the name.

They are for the most part whares and hastily constructed shacks sufficient to protect the occupiers ifrom the severer weather. The Health Department has been making some enquiries in respect of conditions, but reports show that it is impossible to enforce regulations which are applicable only in towns. I lie Natives are not, and for that matter could not he, expected to build bungalows on isolated rocks and small stands nor are they arc expected to install sanitary and drainage systems as effective as those in the towns. They are on the islands for only three months at the most so that their ar-. raligaments must necessarily he of a temporary nature. As it is, the Native’s throw all rdf use and offal from the mutton-birds into the sea and do not allow rubbish of any kind injurious to health to accumulate. The weather on the islands is generally regarded as being more congenial than on the mainland, owing to the warm currents which flow m the near vicinity of Stewart Island. CATCHING THE BIRDS. The season is divided into two distinct periods. The first part commences on April Ist when the Natives start to dig the young birds fr.mi their burrows in the ground. Then from about, April 25th to April 28th, they block up all Hie burrows that require attention to preserve them for the '.0.lowing season as the birds will not return to those that have been destroyed. A different method of taking the birds is adopted during the second part of the season. By this time the young birds have grown sufficiently to come out of their holes and stretch their wings. Torches are used at night to attract the birds and then they are easily caught and killed. lhere aie various methods of killing the biuls, I,ut'it is common to use clubs or sticks or even to bite their necks with the teeth. This eiu|s on April 30th. THEIR HABITS. 3 'ihe habits «- | f the mutton-birds are peculiar. All the birds arrive at the islands about the end of September when they clean out their holes or burrows lor the ensuing season. hater u,ey return to lay their eggs, only one c-:g apiece. Those are hatched out about Christmas time, and the male and female birds set about limiting up fond for the young bird. Finally thevoung bird becomes a ball rtf tat and has sufficient nourishment to sustain life until it matures and is able to lend for itself. The parent birds then take their departure to places along the West Atlantic coast, while the young bird is not able to follow until about the third week in May. It is remarkable to find' that the young birds that'escape capture are able to rejoin the older birds which left the island before them. On the return journey the next season the younger birds precede the older ones thus showing that they possess an unerring instinct for locality and direction. Al- , most invariably the birds return to j the same burrows each season. finding a market. Will'll the young birds are caught i they are plucked, the down coming off ‘ readily when scalded. They are then i preserved and placed in kelp bags m j numbers varying from ten to 100, t k i average bag, dependent to some extent on the condition of the birds, holding about 40 to 46. The bags arc made, by blowing up kelp with an air pump and leaving them out to.dry. They arc airtight and are thus considered by tho Natives to be the best ami cheapest receptacles for tho purpose. Strips rtf bark are used to protect the Some of the Natives save the feathers from, the birds and find a reach’ market for tlicnr as they are idea \ S suited for the making rtf Maori mats.