MUCH AOO ABOUT NOTHING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 190, 22 August 1901, Page 2

MUCH AOO ABOUT NOTHING.

Considerable curio-ity w*a Aroused on Wednesday by tbe circulation of a re- 1 " port that some strange monster h*d taken up its quarto's in a small cave in the clitf, facing Wook'mbe-terr.io*. flapp«:irfi that on tbe previous evening, "6 Mr Will c ols was pissinc, hi* at•ention wee dirvc'ed to the spot by the conduct of his dog, which d'splayod great excitement at some apparent d>»r „ oovery in the civ». Mr Sole peered in'o the darkness of the ranees, and raw what appeared to be two fiery eyes plating out at him. The dog con'd iwt [ be induoed to go in to make ecloairiqspeotion of the stranger, and Mr Sole name away. The s'ory'tpmd, l however, that something unuraal was*tif' ring, and yesterday tbe spot wcs visited' by crowds of townp*ople. The smtC fry ro'lei up in strong force, and quit* a numbar of boys made jo'nt and several entries into the depths of the cave, f-rmed with oandlei and a long pole, but their reßinrcb.es revealed nothing tangible. The news, how-»<-er, cxintaoucd ii spr«ad, a«d ruejojw of euch trifl's as a "wal," and • '' «•»• l ; on," etc., were speedi'y abroad. Bom* wag even went sa f<tr as to report ti.at it was the " s?a serpent," and that it had made away with two dogs. It is even said H a 1: one mother cf reveral young; hop fuls who had been absspt nmily all day at the scene of op'rations, hearing tbesi dread tiles of th* ferocity of tbe monster, rushed down to the cliffs in gruat alarm for the safrty of her f*mily ; but the tale is unfounded. Last evenrg, to put an end to the anxiety cf the public mind, n party consisting of Messrs T. AHnby, B. G. Hopkinson, F. Gilbert" and another mad* a most careful inspection of the cave, going in about a chain and a half, bir. <ouH find nothing living. They dug out a quantity of spoil, which blocked rh« pa«»age, and crawl ad right a'rng till th y could make no further progress, and th« sum total < f their disc ivery was a quantity of dry gross, japparoutly the nest of sime bird. So I bid «as iln Hir in the passage that a, candle would not kesp alight, and an acoiyliue lamp had to be prfs ed into s.u vice. Ti o if suit of their inquiries | will, it; ishnpol, ulUy any for* that may havi got abroad oo the sup jo»ed unmtuml v.sitor. To us the whole affair looks v*ry like abe ix.