KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 461, 1 May 1912, Page 6

KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

Own Correspondent. One of our local settlers coming home from Marokupa the other day noticed something resembling a snake ot a long liazrd in the grass. He examined it from horseback and then descended to obtain a stick. AC the sudden movement it darted away intu the adjacent scrub, out uf pursuit, and was soon lost to sight. It was probably a giant tree lizard, of which there are so few, owing, no doubt, to the heavy rains which are so persistent on this coast. A short time ago three of us were taking a mob of sheep over the Mokau ferry. A lot had just gone over and as we were waiting for the ferry's return a well-to-do native drove up to the landing in a light spring cart. He smiled benighly upon us as we 9tood about in the wet, and at once opened conversation. We told him our destination. He was a witty man and could talk. He had been to school, he told us, and understood the ways of the pakeha. He looked at a villianoua tiki on his watch chain and began a yarn. "You know, the Maori is a fool with his money. He sella the land and thinks he's a great rangatira for a bit; he wear the pold watch and play the billiards and shout for his friends until the money is all gone. The pakeha he get one cow and one hen, and in a little while he's a very rich man; but with the Maori the money blows away like a sand hill which is a great heap at one time but after a little while just a few handsful." We didn't see the comparison at all. We had been in Taranaki where we had seen Maoris in comfortable weather board houses, or driving out in motor cars, or reaping in the fields. Each man in his field, looking at life from under the shadow of his own oat stack, contented with himself and at peace with all the world: his own owner, no doubt, ann under obligation to no landlord, the fresh sea behind and the ever distant blue hills of Taranaki in front.