A VISIT TO KAPITI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2719, 10 April 1924, Page 3

A VISIT TO KAPITI.

BIRD SCARCITY REPORTED. HUMAN RELICS FOUND. A party of 64 men and women, members of the Tararua Tramping Club, returned to Wellington on Sunday from a week end jaunt to Kapiti Island, where they had interesting experiences. The party was organised by Mr W. H. Field, M.P., and Mr F. W. Vosseller. president of the club.

Leaving Wellington by the 9.10 train on Saturday morning. the party were entertained at morning tea at Paraparnmim by Mr Field, and crossed in two launches. They report, a rough trip, having to tranship from the launch to fiat-bottom-ed pontoons to reach the beach. They scaled Kapiti Peak (1,725 ft.). “We were perhaps the largest party that ever visited Kapiti at one time,” they told a reporter on Sunday night. “We were the recipients of many kindnesses at the hands of the Webbers, the Watsons and the Bennetts, at (tie island. We were surprised at the scarcity of birds <>n Kapiti. Wc had beard a lot about it being a sanctuary, but we saw very few birds, comparatively speaking. In the order of numbers, there were bell birds, tni, parakeets, robins, and half a dozen pigeons. We were lejl to believe that the goats were extinct, but we counted twenty-six. We were told that the caretaker has shot len thousand in seven years, and the end of them is in sight. There were numerous penguins which kept, u- awake at night. We saw penguins right away in the deepest part of the bush —an anomaly i;* tlujlr lialiils that is somewhat difficult to understand. There was excellent fishing—blue’ cod and (ornkilii. We came across human remains, evidently Maoris. One of the bones was identified by a medical sludent as a (|'emur. A pnrlv of live bad lo remain oil Hie peak all nigbl, having been overla ken bv darkness. Being nonsmokers, they Imd no matches, and -pen! the night singing songs.