THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 249, 9 February 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND.

The statues of Easter Island, in the South-East Pacini-, some 2000 miles from the coast of South America, have remained the mystery of the Pacific since the first European discoverer of tho island, the Dutch Admiral Roggei veen, sighted it on Easter Day, 1772, said Mrs. Scoresby Rotitledge, relating to the Royal Geographical Society recently, her work during a residence f 16J months island. All round tho coast are the remains of what wore known as the stone terraces, numbering about 200. These terraces consisted of a long wall on the side of the sea, about 300 ft. in length and eight to twelve feet in height, Hanked on either sido by a paved slope of masonry. The wall consisted cf a central portion and two wings, and on the top of the centre portion was a level platform on which stood the images . They had their lacks to the sea, but not one of the statues was now in place; hey had fallen forward and lay in a row on their faces. It have Im?cii suggested that the. images wero thrown down by an earthquake, but nothing was fotrtid to confirm such an idea. Some of the images had been moro than 30ft. in height, but from about 12ft. to 20ft. were more usual measurements. In the. quarries on the south-west portion of the mountain Rano Raraku the statues could bo seen by scores at every stage of completion, left precisely as they were when tho work was stopped. In all there were about 150 partially-finished statues, and 'n the detritus below the quarries a large number had been set up, and they all stood with their backs to the mountain. The statues had not been oriented, nor were they erected after any particular method, being simply set up 'it tho spot most convenient to the quarry, or sometimes in the quarry itself. With regard to the problem of ho>w the states were transported, the lecturer could throw no light on the means employed. Tho present inhabitants cf the island knew nothing of the origin of tho great works; they simply took the statues for granted, and they were ot no particular iuterest to them". Tho mystery of Easter Island was a puzzle of many pieces, and a large number of them must be sought outside tho island itself.