THE MOA AT LAST.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 344, 1 April 1884, Page 2

THE MOA AT LAST.

Watchfibe, 29th March, 8 p.m. Jim Ferriss and myself have been prospecting 1 for nine weeks, and at last, on the 22nd af March, we got on it. W« worked night md day for fire days, and having by that time about 22 ounces we set out for civilization to jjlaim the Government bonus, and the other privileges to which we are entitled. This obliges me to keep the locality dark ftn : the present, though after what has occurred, we will perhaps simply sell out our rights, and take to the easier life of showmen. Well, we struck our tent on the 28th and started. We could not cover much ground in such country. We had to take turns at going first with the tomahawk, and I suppose we did fifteen miles by night. We camped in rather a level spot, where three streams met, atid the bush was thin. Jim is a fellow who never gets knocked up. After we had pitched tent and boiled the billy and eaten a little of our scant stock of provisions, he went " bobbing " for eels in a place where the water was deep and slow. About 8 o'clock, as nearly as I could guess, my dog, that I keep for hunting rabbits, began to growl and to look suspicious. After a while I heard a stick crack, and Towser barked. I thought it was Jim. But presently I heard another crack in the wrong direction for him altogether, and as the dog kept growling in | spite of me, I began to think about wild cattle, Red Indians, and at last about wild Maoris, until I had to whistle to myself for company. I was sitting on my blankets in the tent, and our last candle was burning in a forked stick stuck in the ground. Towser crawled to me and crouched down, evidently frightened. I lifted my head, intending to go out and call to Jim. My eye fell upon the slit under the ridgepole at the back of the tent. This slit was longer than necessary, as the tent was an old one. At that open slit I saw what at first I took for a star. The error was momentary. It moved, retreated, and approached, and at last blinked. It was an eye. I don't know how long I was in making this discovery, as I felt But I took in the situation and doused the light with my hand, fearing that it might be too sure a mark for a spear or a bullet. I had no sooner done it than something struck the ridgepole violently, nearly knocking the tent down, and then scampered off. I heard great thudding treads. Towser fairly whined again with fear,and crawled between my legs. I went out, and heard something crack and rustle in the bush some distance off. I now tried to laugh at myself, and kicked the dog to show that I wasn't afraid. When Jim came back without any eels, we went in again and I lit the candle. I told him what had happened and he laughed at me, but as I persisted .he began, to eye nic curiously and I noticed that be took .the tomahawk outside and I afterwards found he had hid it. Tired as I was I lay awake a good deal. But I never moved when Jim didn't move too, and that so sharply that I fancied he was raising himself up quickly. He has told me since that h« thought I wa^ mad, and was afraid of me. In the morning . I went, to the back of the tent, and soon found enough of marks on the ground and bushes to convince my mate. We then looked at the ridgepole just outside of the slit and found there seven short stiff hairs " ravelled out," as Jim said, at the edges — seeming, in fact, to be a cross between a hair and a feather. As we sat boiling the billy I said— ♦' Whatever it was peeping through the hole, it was startled when I put out the light and >imsj&:£lf swing -back^ its head struck the ridgepole. Thinking that /that was .a "Blow; from me/ or from the light, it , cleaned." '< That's it, old. man," said- Jim, looking at me admiringly ; "but what the d— — 1 could it be?" Then he added reflectively— ci It ain't seen many light puts out anyway, I guess." After we had tramped for an hour down the gully we came to : the edge of the water where there was some sand, Jim, who was leading, stopped suddenly, and exclaimed;—" There are thundering big frogs here if there are no eels." He pointed to a large footmark in the sand, seeming quite fresh. It had three great toes and was about nine inches long. We soon dropped our swags, and I said — *' Jim, that's a moa, by all that's blue that was a moa I saw last night." After a moment he was satisfied ; and as the direction of the steps was across the stream we left our swags and crossed with a lot of trouble and hunted for an hour without result. We got to our swags again with difficulty, and proceeded, after minutely inspecting and measuring the footsteps. In about ten minutes my dog suddenly fell behind growling. We were at once on the alert and in about two minutes I spotted the game— a real, live moa, by thunder, quietly eating bramble berries about sixty yards away. We gazed for some minutes without a word, and then tried to hit upon a plan to capture the rara avis. To the left there was a steep face of rock with a lot of bush at its foot. We agreed to head the bird towards this. But we were too few to surround it, so we stuck up our swags to do duty for one man in a clear place and tied the dog in another. We then approached with fear and trembling. I was armed with the tomahawk and Jim with his sheath knife tied on the end of a five-foot stick. These were for defence, as we did not wish to kill the bird if we could get it alive. The moa was not easily alarmed and let us get so close that we both stopped and looked at each other, as if thinking of the better part of valor. I took a step forward and a stick cracked sharply under my foot. The bird gave a sort of a croak, very quietly, and swayed its long neck round to look as leisurely as it might do to its mate, to whom I believe it attributed the goiind. On seeing me it started forward violently, striking its own head under a branch as it got under weigh- It was a great relief that it was afraid of me. It bad hardly gone ten yards or got into running attitude or recovered the blow, when it ran into a network Of supplejacks hanging among some young birch treees.s Several of them caught it right across its breast. The creature strained ) pushed, and slipped in a stupid manner and made no attempt to take another path. When we came up it hissed hoarsely at us, but was eyiiently terrified, which emboldened us. In it? struggles ft tgss^d leaves, and soil like a bull scraping ; it thrqsiie,d its l^ead about most recklessly, breaking branches and biting supplejacks, but not the right ones. Jim boldly tried to lash one of its legs to a tree, but did not succeed. At last, when I had coupled a loop of rope on a stick to slip over, its he^d, f;hß supplejacks gave away suddenly and the creature, fell forward. Quick as thought Jim thrust his five-foot stick over the moa's neck and under an old log. Thus he held on, with, ease, The brute gave in at once like a sheep. We firs,t lashed its, legs together, thenwa bound it v/ith supplejacks in aj] sqrfs qf ways, and then consulted what tc do. We agreed to hobble our victim, so thai ife could take an 18 inch step. W« wotiftd then fasten a guy, or vein, to eact

side of its head, and, walking one on each side, steer Mm to civilization. Jim went for the swags while I kept guard. We had a fair amount of cord and small rope with us on the tent, and for coupling ourselves in crossing rivers and very rough ground. We needed it all to rig the monster out, which as it lay upon, the ground must have measured about fourteen feet, though it is only eleven feet; three inches standing up. When v:: w >rp r**dy the job was to get him to rise. -jn.i.Gi iurty minutes we got him up and he began to struggle again. Then he backed till he came against a tree. Then he went forward with a rush and fell. We then saw the defects of our harness. We took off the hobbles to give him free use of his legs. But we placed a slipnoose lose round his hocks,and Jim tied the other end round his ownjbody,so that in case of a bolt the moa's legs would be drawn together by the noose. We then added to our guys a pole on each side, so that we might be able to keep him from backing. Finding his legs free, we had less trouble to get him up. He tried to start with a run, but we found we could hold him in with our guys, though we made very crooked sailing and found it hard work. After a while we managed better, and before night we must have travelled three or four miles down the valley. We stopped at some fuchsia trees ! hoping the bird would eat, but he wouldn't. Jim went to seek bramble berries and got a few, but the creature wouldn't eat. We i were so anxious to make him safe and yet not to hurt him, that we tore our blankets into strips and twisted them into cables to anchor him. Then we made a good fire and took turns at watching. I have written these notes during my two watches, iu pencil and by fire light; ■ The day is now breaking and all is weil. I forgot to sav that I carefully examined the moa'» head and could not find the-, ■slightest trace of a blow on the only place where the thick shorl hairs grow — the back of ; the head ; they art like a stiff mane or. comb. This leads me tc infer that there is another yet at large. Watchfikb, "March 30. 11 p.m. This morning, early, Jim. suggested an inx pro rement in the harnesV. Our jg-o&ble yes terday-was fhat the bird kept throwing u{ his head and making us lose command o him. The new plan was to lash a crookec stick along the .back of ita neck with th( turned up end on the back, so that the heat could only be raised a certain distance. • W< found this answer so well that we shortly dispensed with our steering poles altogether Jint wanted to make the moa carry the swags or what of them is left. c I was afraid o: knocking the bird up. It ate a few berries to-day, and .also some leaves that I don' know the name of, but some of which '. added to' my swag. We aave had a very have day. We have hardly done six miles. W< had to tether the bird and clear a path severa times. The prospect for fb-morrow is better' We caught two rabbits, of which we wen very glad. Bi-.t my poor dog got a nasty kick. brjhtrotting too close. behind. The mos let put and sent him about six yards away-. ] thought he was dead, but he has come: to anc limped along all the afternoon. It is middle' ! watch— lo to 2 — and Jim is asleep. The moa ■ has. squatted down for the first tima. It's t back is very bony and strong; It i» accus. tomed to break branched off trees, and does it skilfully. Its legs, are hard as horn, and as thick as the hind legs of a horse below the hock. In the tail, which is a short- bunch, there are feathers like those of an emtf. There are also tufts at the sides where the wings -pught to grow. The color is brown.'.' The „ 3ec^and^foa<?k_ have thin, woolly hair,; like fine feathers' with ihh~&-iiS-^ii^p§d^o^- : 4^Sa^ 'The >breast and; thighs ate covered .with long •hair. split at thefends.;. This- is a^Borfc! of'imperfect feather. , The breast, and neck are black, but not glossy. We .don't] know-' thje Bex of our, capture. % Jim is hopirijgllt lay an egg for breakfast. , ; . „V ). '' • Ata Rabbiteb's Hut, ■■' '■ 10 a.m,, March 31. We were startled in Jim's . morning watch by the violent struggling of thejeaoa. The day was just breaking, and we' found' the trouble was caused by the maie of cjur bird having followed up the trail. It was standing close to the captive ; when Jim! saw it first. They both" croaked so as to waken me. Wh«n we interfered the intruder strode off sulkily, but upon being hit withjatetbneran like a racehorse. He threw his head forward ia running, and rolled from side to side vprjr, much. I don't think he was bigger ttfan' ours. T.. is accident led to an ~earlfr' start. I had to kill Towser, ,as he was toofbad'to travel this morning. The bird w* s~ very sulky and played up several ttim island showed its strength so much that wv slip the nooae about its legs and tirow.it. It fell violently and on bad ground. We got it up at last and travelled about -a milja^when it laid down and seemed done.. Af {fer vain efforts to start I left Jim withstand went j for help. I had not got a mile up put of the valley when I came upon; £. tra,ck that led me to a rabbiter's hut. Me is! getting breakfast now. He says I can get an outstation in about nine miles- of passable track. ■'■- : i Gore, 10 p.m. ? March 31. I sent' the rabbiter with breaicfast to Jim, I reached the out station by 'otxq : o'clock, I managed to get two hands with two horses and a dray. One of the hands said he could reach the spot I described in five hours with the dray. I, wishing to make complete train and other arrangements without delay, got a hack and started for Gore, and have just dow arrived and offer you these hurried notes. I start at daybreak to meet the train, as I believe they will have got the bird loaded before dark and will easily catch the Waimea train to reach Gore by midday fco-morrow. 1 told the, men not to consider bhe Jives qf a doaen horses to save the moa. But I also wrote to, Jim to nur^e the thing all he could, and handle it carefully, and not to hurry if it would eat, and walk in if possible, as carting it might bruise it sejioMsJy, Should ifc Wot Jtfrive tg-morrow I will not be sorry, as that will show that it is eating and doing well. The visit of the. mate caused all this trouble. We could aave walked in very well as we were doing. William Titbton. P'S. — I did not know yesterday was Sunday, till th^s afternoon. We have beea p,ut aine weeks.— r W.T.