OHAUPO.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 274, 14 April 1898, Page 2

OHAUPO.

Cattle Poisoned. —In the journey over land of 300 head of cattle from Taranaki last week, several of them died on the road from the effects of a poisonous plant, called by the natives Whariki, which only glows in certain districts. The drover in charge, who is a most careful man, used every precaution to avoid the cattle being " tutu-ed," 3nd pitched his camp where there were no tutu bushes, ind the natives with him could see no sign of the Whariki plant. All went well till about 8 o'clock, when just as the bands were turning in, they heard a bellow and a commotion amongst the cattle. All hands immediately turned out, and as the man in charge informed me, the sight was something awful. The roar and frenzy of the poisoned animals and the terror of the others, caused a regular pandemonium, those poisoned goim? mad and rushing at the others. The men had a difficult job to keep out of their way. as the poor brutes followed them about like dogs, as if imploring their aid, and others again would rush them, screaming like wild beasts. The agony must have been terrible. In this case they do not swell as they do after eating tutu. The men worked hard all night, and when a beast dropped he was immediately gagged and the mouth kept open, as that is supposed to be a cure, they also bled them either in the ear or nostril. When the others smelt the blood, the bellowing was terrific. The men say it was truly a night of horrors ; they were at work from 8 o'clock at night till 10 the next day. When they counted up they found sixteen dead, and many others suffering from the after effects, but the remedies used, bleeding and gagging, saved the lives of all that were so treated in time, and thoy were all light next day. I cannot describe the plant, as I never saw it, but as far as I can learn it is only poisonous at certain seasons of the year, and only grows in certain localities. Where this happened was somewhere in the vicinity of the caves on the road to Awakino. I think it as well to mention the above circumstances, so that drovers can be on their guard in future, as it is a matter of very great consequence to cattle owners.— (Own Correspondent).