SPORT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1246, 24 June 1880, Page 3

SPORT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Under this heading a letter signed W, W. appears in The Field, from which we make the following extracts and upon which comment would be thrown away : — i§iß, — Some time since, I saw an article in The Field on sport in New Zealand Your correspondent' 8 description of the country I believe to be quite true to nature from my own experience in the North Island, never having been in the Middle one. But as far as pig killing goes, pigs must be much scarcer than they are in the province of Wcliiugton, as we could get any quantity without much travelling. Indeed^ so plentiful are they, that the settlers give out contracts to men to kill one or two thousand at 6d. a tongue, as in some places they outnumber the sheep on the ground (the men who take the contracts to find themselves in everything — ammunition, dogs, and food). Goats are also to be got within twenty-five miles of Wellington almost in any quantity. I write this for any of your readers who may be going out, and find time hang heavy on their hands. My advice to them is to get a quiet horse each, and a pack horse, a small tent, some flour, tea and sugar, and any other small articles they think they may want, a few pig dogs and guns, powder and shot, with bullets for pigs, and good long sheath knives. When they find a place where they would like to camp, ie would make things pleasanter if they called at the station and asked permission, where they would be most hospitably received, and would get every information about pigs, also leave their horses with the rest of the station hacks when they would know where to put their hands on them when wanted, as not one horse in a thousand but will stray away, and perhaps take a day or more looking for. My advice is to keop "to the J ' coast, : ,as : for a str anger when you get inland' it is mo9t difficult to find your way. the hills being thickly covered with scrub, and one range looks very like another till you are accustomed to look out for landmarks. . . . The winged game are ducks (Paradise and grey), pigeon, and kaw-kaw, sic (a kind of parrot, not bad to eat when stewed). Without going very far from the coast, a few wild cattle may be got ; but it is best to go with an old hand for the first few times, to see how they are killed, as sometimes they are dangerous when only wounded. I was once chased by one I had hit ; fortunately, I had shot him from my horse ,and he was a good one, so I had no difficulty getting away. I had no more bullets with me, but returned next day with a good cattle dog, and hunted him up, when* I shot him. A young Englishman newly out went out with a | tame Maori'tO who belonged to theT)lace, I and Rut nrae/tmllets h\tc> one old bull and then he charged them, when they were glad to get up a tree, where he kept I txem for some time before he cleared out. They found him dead next day. . . , The travellers might drop in with some old hand going up the coast for work, who would be gl|*d to stay with them for his food, and perhaps a sovereign, who would pat them up to all camp shifts.' VWiW»