KORERORERO TORONGA.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1920, Page 12

KORERORERO TORONGA.

DOCTOR'S OP SCIENCE AT THEIR . PLAY. By "Ingoa Kore." • (Rights Reserved). In order to show the well-known tendency of the average ardent collector to annex articles of vertu, and thus to enhance his own possessions in kind, the late Dr. McNab, of Pahnerston North, told two good and true stories. The first is this. Dr. Ilocken, of Dunedin, was the proud owner of a choice little collection of Maori curios which he had put together with infinite pleasure and skill; but he lacked the technical Maori lore as to their origin and tribal significance, which made them the more valuable in the eyes of the connoisseur, and more interesting to the public. This 'knowledge was possessed by Dr, Buller, of Whanga-nui in a marked degree, and he was invited by Dr. Hocken to view the treasure at his Diinedin home. Among them were sir miniature Tiki of fine greenstone, one, a transparent "Pou-na-mu Tangi-wai," being considered almost priceless, and said to be the finest known specimen of its kind. The Doctor's wife was most careful of these, and her pride in them unbounded, she in fact always held the key of their drawer. After a couple of hours mutual pleasure and historic reminiscences concerning the. ancient treasures, the lady suddenly missed the tiny Tangi-wai, and made hasty but vain search for it. Be* coming exeitfcd, she at last suggested that i)r. Buller should feel his pockets for the missing tiki, whereupon he became angry, and at once left the house. Dr. Hocken accompanied him to the gate, and tried to pacify him and to induce his return to the room, by saying that he actually knew where it was; but his friend was too hurt to listen. On returning to the house Dr. Hocken found his wife ringing the police. "It'n ail right, my dear, I knew Buller was a keen collector," and straightway pro•duced Hie missing tiki from his vest pocket, where lie had placed it beyond the temptation of all other collectors! The two good doctors of philosophy afterwards fraternised, and each goodnaturedly told the joke as against, the other! Dr. Focken's secpnd story is told tp his friends as against himself. When on a casual visit to my friend Hamilton, of the Wellington *;useum, he told me. with evident satisfaction in its prospective ownership, that he had found a splendid little collection of Maori curios in the possession of Mrs. Carlisle, of Napier, and that' she. had promised him he should have the first offer of it if ever it was for sale. Three months later 1 again called on Hamilton and told him I was en route to Napier "for the benefit of my health." He gave me his' Sympathy and saw me off by the steamer, but never a word passed between us about the Napier lady, or her curios. However, she was duly located, and. after admiring her unique collection, T tried very hard to buy it. So hard indeed did I press that she told me she had promised it to a Mr. Hamilton. I then said that as he was my friend and colleague it would please him, beyond telling, to know that I ' 1 '" fortunate owner, and I again lff _. sought to make a bargain. At" i„ - as a final resort against my iV, v ( ity, produced a telegram, which ton iiad sent immediately nftgy me on board the steamer, "Dr. -Jfoelten on his way to Napier, remember your promise to me," and believe me I roundlyrated Hamilton for his distrust, when I to Wellington'