From Stewart Island to Siberia

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 17

From Stewart Island to Siberia

- ———HEN Kingsford I j Smith flies across I I or Hinkler does a world sits up and takes notice. But that well - known table delicacy, the mutton-bird, has been flying backward and forward from Stewart Island to the Sea of Okhotsk below Siberia for years and probably centuries, and very little notice has been taken of it.

Though the mutton-bird is well known to the public as a tasty dish, how many New Zealanders know anything of the islands where the birds are caught, or of the mutton-birds’ peculiarities? Where does the bird come from and whither does it go during the winter months in the South? What of the industry? Unfortunately, little has been written on these matters in the past and it is likely that much of the interesting history surrounding the industry and the “birders” may be lost unless the traditions of these southern islands are collected and placed on record. The industry flourished long before the advent of Europeans to New Zealand, and Southern Maoris used to barter mu ttef-birds for articles from the North Island, later exchanging them for goods carried on the whaling and sealing ships.

The Moutere Titi, or Mutton-Bird Islands, are extremely interesting islands In the history of Southland. When the native o« ners, by deed of cession, dated June 29, 1864, ceded Stewart Island with all the large and

small adjacent islands to the Crown, certain small islands called “Titi Islands" were reserved under the protection of the Government for muttoubirding purposes for the native vendors and their successors. The list of these islands is given in the deed of cession and Includes the following more important ones: Taukiepa, Poutama. Rerewhakaupoko, Mokinui, Pukeotakohe, and Kaihuka. The first named island has come under the notice of the public on several occasions in the past six years in connection with persons alleged to have been trespassing. It is more commonly known as South Cape or Long Island and is situated close to the mainland, south-west of Stewart Island. Rerewhakaupoko is sometimes called Solomon's Island because the former chief, H ' " l mona p aa t u , built a church there and conducted religious services in the mutton-birding season. For the v e ' mainder of the year he held services |

at Riverton, on the Mainland of South- 1 land. Each island has a history of its own i and much excitement prevails when j the rights of natives to take mutton- [ birds are in dispute. The parties argue : over feuds, chiefs and relationships j dating back over 300 years. Many | natives visited these islands for a long j time without ancestral right and many i have been trespassing on the rights of others from time to time, resulting iu much quarrelling and many grievances. The upshot was that in February, 1910, a special Native Land Court sat at Invercargill for the purpose of deciding who were the rightful beneficiary owners, and again, in 1922, another special sitting was held in the same town to determine the in- | terests of those who were not satisfied with the decisions given. The latter Court gave certain rights to those i natives who could prove both ancestral j right and right by long occupation.

Laics Governing “ Binding” j The descendants of the original j native owners of Stewart Island are | the only persons entitled to take,

catch, kill, or otherwise pursue by any means or device, “titis” on the islands. Their wives or husbands, however, are always permitted to go to the islands, even though they are Europeans. Apart from these exceptions, it is not lawful for any European to take mutton-birds or their eggs, or to go in search of them. The natives are not permitted to go to the islands earlier than March 15 of each year and “birding” must not commence before the first day of April, or should the overseer in charge decide, in the event of the natives being delayed in landing through bad weather, not earlier than April 10. In any case, “birding” must cease on May 31. Natives frequenting a particular island usually appoint one of their number, each season, as an overseer. He is given power to allot areas to different parties and to supervise generally the conduct of the “birding” operations. Thus he becomes a tem-

j porary chief on the island. He has the i right to reserve parts of the islands j until April 10 for natives who may be | delayed in reaching their respective ' "manus.” The natives, however, may ] take mutton-birds for their own im- ; mediate use, even before the opening jof the season. A native who has no j fight to enter the islands may some- | times obtain written consent to do sc ! from the majority of the owners in- ! terested and he is then considered to i be lawfully entitled to catch muttoni birds. Early in March, the Maoris who have J mutton-birding rights charter boats at \ the Bluff and set out for the islands. What are called “passage birds” are collected as payment for their transport to and from their destination, the fare costing each of the “birders” 250 mutton-birds. The landing places on the islands vary in chara.cter, some being on sandy beaches: others, on steep unsheltered cliffs, the latter

being difficult to negotiate during strong winds and heavy seas. The boats return to the Bluff and sail for the islands again with provisions halfway through the season which Is divided into two parts, the first commencing on April 1 when the natives start to dig the young birds from the burrows. Half-time is observed from April 25 to April 28, during: which time all burrows that need attention are blocked up to preserve them for the next season, as the birds will not return to holes that have been destroyed. A different method of taking the birds is adopted during the second part of the season, as by this time the

young ones have grown sufficiently to come out of the burrows to stretch their wings. Torches are then used at night and the quarry is easily caught and killed. Habits of the Birds The mutton-bird has remarkable habits. The female bird lays only one egg each year, this being deposited in a burrow which protects the baby until it is old enough to look after itself. AH the birds arrive on the islands on October 25, when they commence to clean out holes or burrows for the ensuing season. j It is stated— though there is a differ- | ence of opinion here —that each female bird lays its egg on the same day and 1 curiously enough on the 25th day of the month following its arrival on the I islands. The eggs are hatched on the j 25th day a month later Christmas I Day! I The male bird then gets to work j and hunts for food for the female and j the young one. He digests the food ! and feeds the young; bird by vomiting ! the nourishment down its throat, the | female assisting later in “stuffing” the i baby until it becomes a ball of fat and | has sufficient nourishment to sustain I life until it matures and is able to fly. I The old birds then leave for distant ! lands to avoid the Southern winter. It j is said they settle on islands off the ! coast of Japan and round the Sea of ! Okhotsk below Siberia, following a j warm current which flows northward i from southern New Zealand. They

The Romance of the Mutton-Bird s Migration (Written for THE SVy . are not seen at Stewart Island again until October 25. I Tbe young birds mature about April j 1 and are able to fly in the second 1 week in May. The old, or parent I birds, are never taken or killed by the i natives at any time, but are protected in order that the industry may flourish tor generations to come. There are various methods of killing the young birds, but it is common to use clubs or sticks, or even to bite their necks with the teeth. It is remarkable to find that the young birds which escape capture are able to rejoin their parents who have lett some time previously. On the return journey the following season the young birds precede the older ones thus showing that they have a remarkable

instinct for locality and direction. The birds almost invariably return to the same holes or burrows each season. The young ones develop on different dates in May and those that are ready for migration wait on the water until the rest are able to face the long journey. The oldest bird has been ob-

by J. B. SHEER AX)

served to be the last to leave the islands on the trek to the Northern Hemisphere. When the migration begins the birds darken the sky with their numbers. It is said that sometimes they cover an area of 40 square miles in their flight and have a greater effect on light than heavy dark clouds. The impression of their countless numbers has been

described as being similar to an eclipse of the sun. Duties of Overseer It is the duty of the overseer in charge of the “birders” on each island to see that all holes made in the burrows to take the birds out are refilled and stopped whereever possible, to

I prevent water from entering and spoil- | ing them for next season. It is also | his job to see that no fires, except for

domestic purposes, are lit, and that fires originating from torches, or any other r are immediately extinguished. He sees that all necessary steps are taken to provide for the exclusion and destruction of vermin, such as rats, mice, stoats, weasels, which are enemies of the mutton-birds. Dogs are permitted on the islands, provided that they are kept properly chained up to prevent them from destroying the burrows. If they are used to catch the birds, they are under the absolute control of the owner who is held responsible for all damage done by them. The natives on the islands observe Sunday holiday and do not commence taking or preserving the birds before 6 p.m. on that day. When the opening of the season falls on a Friday some of the more superstitious Jo not start operations until the following day. The houses, whares and other buildings on the islands are kept very clean and are mostly in a good state of repair. The natives throw all offal and refuse from the Mutton-birds into the sea and do not allow rubbish of any kind which would be a nuisance and a menace to health, to accumulate. The Health Department has been making some inquiries in connection with housing but reports show that it is practically impossible to enforce those regulations which are applicable in

towns. The “birders” are not expected to build bungalows on isolated rocks and small islands, nor are they expected to install sanitary and drain age systems as effective as in towns. As they are on the islands for only two months of the year, most of the arrangements are of a temporary nature. The weather on the islands is much more congenial than on the mainland. There are no frosts and the warm currents which flow in the vicinity of Stewart Island tend to make the climate similar to that of Auckland. The natives derive a substantial income from the sale of the birds for which they receive from Sd to lOd apiece. About 300 “birders” are engaged in the industry and it is possible for an active native to make £4 or £5 in one day. The cost of living is not great. The “birders” start out with a reasonable supply of provisions from the mainland and depend upon fishing and the mutton-birds for the balance of their sustenance. Their equipment resembles that of ordinary campers. When the birds are caught they are plucked, the down of the young ones coming off readily when scalded with water. Some of the “birders” save the feathers and find a ready market for them as they are ideal for making Maori mats. The birds are preserved in their own fat and placed in kelp bags in numbers varying from 10 to 100 though the majority of the bags contain between 30 and 60 birds. The bags are made by blowing up kelp with an air-pump and leaving it out to dry. They are air-tight and considered to be the best receptacles for the purpose, being known to keep the birds fit for consumption for a number of years. The kelp bags are protected by means of strips of bark from trees and are placed in flax bags and tied with flax or twine ready for the market. The natives also cook the birds on the islands and send them in this condition to the market. The oil and fat is saved and finds a ready sale, the oil being considered an excellent cure for rheumatism.

On the island of Poutama some mechanical contrivances are used for carrying the birds to a central depot. Wire ropes are fixed on the steep sides of the island and the birds are sent down by the dozen tied to hooks or rings which slide easily. This method saves a good deal of time, enabling “birders” to catch 50 or 60 extra birds a day. The wires are easily accessible from any part of the island and are often used as party wires. I There is romance attached to the

island Taukiepa. In the year 1807, j James Caddell, an English sailor boy, was one of the crew of the Sydney Cove, which was seized by the Maoris at Taukiepa. The natives attacked the crew, killing them all except Caddell who owed his miraculous escape to the fact that he accidently touched the outer mat worn by the Maori chief, this bringing him under

the native "tapu” and giving him protection. The chief took every care of hi in and he soon became friendly with the chief’s daughter, eventually marrying her in ISIS. Caddell soon became recognised by the Maoris as a chief or some consequence. He adopted the native customs, became tatooed aud wore the mats of the tribe to which he was attached. Hopeless of ever being rescued, he resigned himself to his fate and took an active part in tribal affairs, accompanying other chiefs in pursuit of any boats or seal gangs operating round the islands and learning all the arts of plunder attained by the natives at that time. The outer world heard nothing of the fate of the crew of the Sydney Cove until 1523, when the colonial cutter Snapper under Captain Edwardson visited the island. Caddell who was then 30 years of age, told the story of his life to the captain who prevailed upon him to go to Sydney with his wife. Caddell had forgotten a good deal of the English language and civilised customs aud had become transformed from an English sailor boy into a terrifying and dauutless Maori chief. His sojourn in Sydney created a great deal of interest. He showed some signs of resuming civilised life with its comforts and luxuries, but soon returned to Taukiepa where he remained in a savage state until his death. He took an active part in the mutton-birding industry and was instrumental in having large supplies of the birds forwarded to Kaiapoi during the famine which prevailed there in the early part of last century. Murder Cove The story of the Australian woman who preserved her own and her child’s life on Taukiepa Island in 1823 is both pathetic and tragic. She was on board the American ship General Gates which came to the southern islands in that year for the purposes of w’haling ana scaling. She was the only woman employed in the industry in the south as far as records show.

It appears that the captain of the ship divided his gang into two parties one of which remained at Taukiepa to catch fur seals while the other, including the captain went in search of w’hales. The Maoris crossed from Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait and slaughtered all the sealers with the exception of the aboriginal woman with her two-year-old child, w’ho hid under a rock and remained concealed until the Maoris returned to Ruapuke. The natives ransacked the belongings and provisions of the sealers. Being

unacquainted with European things they thought the flour was white ash and amused themselves by throwing it at one another and watching it fly away in the wind. They chewed soap and to their horror foam came out of their mouths. They did not like the taste of tobacco which they called “Aurangi,” or “Heaven’s gall.” They found some black seed (gunpowder) which they scattered about on the ground as a useless thing. When they lit a roaring fire in the evening they were tremendously frightened. Lightning and flames of fire from the gunpowder flared up in all directions. When the captain of the General Gates heard of the fate of his sealers he sank all the native canoes he met on the water and numbers of Maoris were drowned. The woman and child remained alone on Taukiepa for nine months living on mutton-birds, their eggs, and seals, being without fire during the entire period. The Sydney “Gazette” of April 8, 1824, gives a short account of their rescue by Captain Dawson of the Samuel. The spot where the massacre of the sealers took place is now named Murder Cove.