A Maori Cave.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 22, 24 December 1884, Page 2

A Maori Cave.

[Wellington paper.! Within the last few days some of the residents m the vicinity of Poriraa have discovered a cave near the Porirua Heads which contains may ghastly momentoes of a past generation. The cave is situated m a crevice of a precipitous cliff about 200 ft high, and the entrance is about 50ft from a narrow fringe of beach which is coverqd at high-water. The aperture is about l£ft m circumference, and to reach it something approaching the agility of a squirrel is required. A party of gentlemen from Wellington visited the place on Sunday last, and were lowered from the top of the cliff to the mouth of the cavern by means of a rope. The place consists really of two chambers, the first of which is nbout 30ft m height by about 12ft m width. The floor is strewn with human skulls and bones, and presents the appearance of a veritable Golgotha. The remnants of what appareqtly was a coffin are to be seen, the wood of which is decayed, and upon heing touched it crumbled into a pas,ty substanoe. About fifteen perfectly well preserved skulls were counted by the visitors, one of | them being perforated, apparently by a i bullet, whilst the bones, orincipally thigh I and leg, if collected, would have made a large heap. For many years past the Maoris m the neighborhood have hinted that such a oave existed m the locality, and that during the native troubles the bodies of the Maoris slain were placed therein. Be this as it may the cave is a perfect charnel house. At tho extreme end of the outer cave is an aperture scarcely large enough to enable a man to crawl through. The air, however, m this second chamber was so foul that none of the party ventured into it. The place is " tapu " and as Huck is of course held sacred by the Maoris, and, even if it were not, access to it is so difficult that few sightseers would care about risking their lives to pay it a visit. The party was pilotted to the edge of the cliff by Mr F. Liardet, at which place they were met by a guide, who displayed much anxiety lest the Maoris should obtain an inkling of the visitors' purpose, ]