Some Freaks
In
(Copyright, 1M1, by Frank O. Curpentor.)
CHRI8TCHURCII, Now Zealand, March
II, l'JOl. (Special Correspondence- of Tlio
lieu,) How would you like (o meut n
bird ns tall iib a giraffe, which lays eggs
an big as a pumpkin 7 You can sou the
Imngo of one at ChrlHtchuruh, New Zea
land. You can sea a baker'R do.cn of
Nkelotona shewing thu gigantic monster In
tho different stages of 1 1 h growth, ami bu
hind glnsB you can hcu some of tho real
eggs luld by It a century or rnoro ngo,
wlion It trod thu Roll of thin country, I
refer to tho great moa, supposed to bo tho
,
THU KIWI, Olt WINGLESS
blggoHt bird ever creatid. l sal down
before thu model of It In Chrlstehurch,
Now Zealand, and made, hoiiiu notes de
scribing it, 11k tall us a bird stands on
the floor la JiibI iih high as my head and I
ankle Is au big around iih my calf. Uh
gigantic liody, covered with gray feathers,
might havo been modeled out of a small
haystack, and Uh tall, (bin neck Is
stretched ho high above Uh breast that tho
wliolu could not posHlhly bo pqucozi'd Into
thu nwrugu parlor, it Iiiih no wlngH, but
Uh legs aro nH Billing ih thosu of u camol,
and it looks (iillo as big. Its feet have
dawn much llko those of u tuikoy savo
that t hoy are unonnoiiH In size mid eiuh a
oot long.
( doubt nut tho original could havu
tampeil out thu llfu of a man at olio blow.
Uoaldo ouo of thu moa skeletons was placed
thu skeleton of an ordinary man, tho head
of tho bird ilBlug nt least eight feet above
thu skull of tho man. Tho hones were real
bones found In this part of New Zealand;
thoy nro Joined together by wires.
Th first bonca of tho moa wero discovered
about sixty years ngo. Tho bird exlBted In
Now Zealand within n very recent porlod
and thoro nro Mnorla who will toll you that
their forefathers hunted it. The probabil
ity, howover, Is that It antcdatcB tho ad
vent of thu Maoris, but there Is no doubt
thnt It wns onco eaten In great numbers,
for In thu old ovens which havo been ex
cavated quantities) of cooked moa bones
havu been found. Hut as to when that
tlinu was and who the moa hunters were,
no one knows,
Kkun iin II lu id Font Ilia I In.
Tho iiio.i eggs wore each about a trot
long. Ono was found home years ago by a
man when digging tho foundation of a
house. Ho had gone down Bovcral foot
when ho mine upon thu skeleton of a man
In h Hitting posture. The egg was held In
tho man's bony lingers in such a manner
ns to bring It Imme llalely opposite IiIh
mouth, and It Is Kiippos.d that it was placed
there with the Idea thai thu ghust of tha
dead would havu something to cat during
tho Intervals of IiIh long sleep. Theru wore
a stouo spenr and an a by thu stilo of the
man, showing that he w.ih probably a war
rior, and Ills tkull bore evidence of having
received buvi nil bird knocks, probnbly on
thu biittlelleld. The egg was ten Inches
long nnd teven Inches In diameter and Its
shell was nl nut iih thick us a silver 25-ront
plcco. Uh It.sldo was perfectly u:upy, hut
whether lime or the dead native bad sucked
out the contents the records do not fay,
WlnulrHH III nit, or Nimv '.entmtil.
The moa was wingless, It seems to
have been a giant edition of soiuu of the
strange birds New Zealand has now. There
aru wingless birds In New Zealand not
larger than good-sized chickens, whl h aru
moas in miniature 1 refer to the kiwis,
Found
New Zealand
boiiio of which I have Been hero at Christ
church, Tho kiwis bavo balrllko feathers
of Bomowliat thu color of a quail. Thoy
liavo long bills, sharp at tho point, with
which they can bora down Into tho ngid
for worinu, and their legs aro much like
thoso of tho inoa.
I have had several of them In my hands,
and, by feeling carefully, I can discover
what seems like a little lump on each sldo
where tho wing ought to be. Othcrwlso
than this no wings aro perceptible
Tho kiwi Is a night bird. At the college
horo, where I saw them, tho birds wcro
1 ''A;f W;I
Mill) OF NEW ZEALAND,
penned up like chickens and had to be
brought out of tho coop for mo to examine
tliom. They scemod almoH blinded by tho
light and ran about this way and that in
apparent terror. Thu birds aro now glow
ing very scarce In Now Zealand. Tho
.Maui Is aru fond of them for food, and their
skins are highly prized ns dresses for tho
chiefs, Thoy nro now only to bo found in
the denso beds of ferns which cover parts
of Now Zealand, It Is very dllllcult to
catch them, for they Icok much like tho
dead fern leaves, and thoy tako refugo In
crevices In tho rocks nnd In deep holos
which they excavate in tho ground for their
nests.
Ono of tho most curious things about the
kiwi is the slzo of Its egg. It Ih almost as
big ns tho bird itself, being of a creamy
white color, as smooth nnd as glossy as
Ivory. Tho kiwi Is rapidly being exter
minated. Tim dogs hunt It in tho thicket,
nnd it is now rare that you find ono out
sldo tho museums.
The Mlici'ii-Kiltlnir Carrot.
Thoro Is nnothor bird in New Zealand
which is qulto ns curious as tho kiwi.
This is tho ken parrot, which cats sheep,
fastening Us claws Into tho wool of tho
back nnd digging out tho choice bits of
llesh. Thousands of sheep bavo been de
stroyed by this bird, tho loss from them
being bo great Hint tho government onco
offered n reward of 75 cents n bend, when
ns many as 15,000 koas wero killed In a
year. The ken has aristocratic tastes. It
does not care for tiny part of tho sheep
except tho kldneyn and tho fat which sur
rounds them. Through several genera
tions of birds it has learned by Instinct or
tradition--whether birds tnlk or not I
enlinot payJust whero the kidneys Ho In
the Hhrep's anatomy. I am told that it
stilke.s the right spot every time, and that
It bores u hole Into tho sldo of tho sheep
rlgh over tho kidneys, boring n holo In
with Its bill ns smooth ns though tho tlesh
was cut round with a knife. Tho koa
tears out the kidneys nnd the fat, nnd then
leaves the sheep, which, ef course, dies.
There are different theories us to how tho
kens acquired this taste for the finest of
mutton, They had had nothing but berries
and Insects until sheep were introduced,
Then they begnn to pick the meat from
the sheep skins hung up to dry. Later on
they attacked the live sheep, and after a
lime, having discovered Just whero tho kid
neys were, devoted their Inbors to no other
part. There Is no doubt of the fnct that
they take only the kidneys, nnd that overy
kea knows Just whero to strike a sheep
tho nrst tlmo. Whether the birds talk to
ono nnnther or not I do not know, but they
rertnlnly seem to work qulto ns intelli
gently nB though they had lnngunge,
.ntiir' l''reiikn In New Zenlnml.
These nre, howover, hut n fow of tho
frenks which Dnme Nature has created In
TTTE ILTj LTSTT? ATED BBE.
this out-of-the-way part of the world.
There nro others so strange that 1 hesitate
to mention them. This Is, you know, tho
land of tho marsupials, or pouch-bearing
animals. You havo all heard of tho kanga
roos who have a bag attached to tho out
sldo of their bellies In which they carry
their young. There nre not ninny such ':i
New Zealand. They arc rather to be found
in Australia. New Zealand, however, has
marsupial rats, ami I saw at tho college
hero In Chrlstehurch a mouse not much
larger than a good-sized cricket which had
a pouch on its belly In which It carried Its
young. This mouse Is perhaps tho smallest
marsupial known. It Ib n part of tho biolog
ical collection of tho collego museum (it
Chrlstehurch, nnd was shown inn by l'rof
Marrlnor, the chief biologist, Another thing
ho showed me wns a live lizard which he
says Is a descendant of a family of three
oyed lizards. This lizard Is especially puz
zling to the BclcntlstB Just now. In th"
center of the bend Is a third eye, which s
clearly visible through the skin of tho
young animal, but which becomes thickly
covered when It renches maturity. Prof.
Marrlncr says thoro Is llttlo doubt but that
this eyo wnB onco used. Tho lizard ho
showed me Is about n foot long and, 1
should Bny, two Inches In diameter nbout
tho waist.
I llko tho black swanB of New Zealand,
They aro to be seen In nil pnrts of the
Island, nnd you can shoot them anywhere
nlong tho lakes. They nro oven tnoro beau
tiful than tho whltn swans, their feathers
looking llko black velvet plush ns they B ill
nlong tho waters.
Wuctnlile Ciller pi Hiiro.
Tho curiosities of vcgotablo life nro quite
as wonderful aB thoso of animal life. On1
of the Btrangcst Is what Is known us tin
vegetable caterpillar. This looks like a
perfect caterpillar with n stem growing cut
of Us head. Tho caterpillar Itself Is about
two Inches In longth. When It Is full grown
thu sprout comes out and takes root and
grows Into a vigorous plant nbout eight
Inches high, with a single stem, but no loaf.
Some say that tho caterpillar Is a real live
caterpillar, but this I am Inclined to doubt.
Tho only ones I havo seen nro tho plants
when they havo been dried nftcr bolng
taken out of tho ground.
I might nlso speak of Now Zealand flix,
n sort of flag which grows in many parts
of tho country nnd which Is now being
hnrvested largely for export. ThU II ig
has a flbct which makes a cloth as Inau 1
ful as silk. Tho Japanese aro now experi
menting with It, nnd It may evontunlly he
one of the great products of tho country. I
hnvo socn It growing In mnny places on
this Island nnd nm told thnt thousands of
tons nro annually exported. The fiber
looks somowhat llko I'hlllpplno hemp.
I. mill Which Grown Turpentine.
Havu you ever heard of the kauil gum? It
Is a solldlfiod turpentine or resin which Is
found In great chunks on the top of tho
ground and below the surface In tho north
ern Island of New Zenlnnd. Tho lumps are
from tho slzo of a walnut to thnt of a man's
head, and slnglo pieces havu been found
weighing ns much ns 100 pounds. This gum
Ih often ns clear as ambor, varying greatly
In color. Sometimes It Is a rich yellow,
BomotlmcH brown, nnd sometimes Just tho
color of champagne. It Is used ns n sub
stltutu for amber In cigar holders and
pipes, but tho most of It Is sold to manu
facturers of vnrnlsh. It Is by no means a
cheap article nnd tho annual exports of It
amount to soveral millions of dollars. In
IS9S not qulto 10,000 tons wcro exported,
the total valuo of which was In tho neigh
borhood of $3,000,000. Altogether since
1853 more than $45,000,000 worth of this
gum has been gotten out, amounting In nil
(o about 200,000 tons.
Anionic (he (ill in DltcuerN.
There nro now nbout 7,000 men going
over tho country with spears nnd picks
looking for this gum. Thoy drlvo their
spears down Into tho earth nnd when they
find a piece dig It out. The gum lies within
a limited area. It is mined on about 700,
000 acres north of Auckland City nnd south
and east of Auckland on about 90,000
acres more. Part of this Is government
land, upon which tho right to dig tho gum
Is sold at from $5 to $35 per annum. Other
pnrtB aro private property.
Many of tho gum diggers nre Austrlnns,
somo Maoris nnd somo Kngllsh-Austrn-llnns,
They go out Into tho gum Holds
and camp in groups of twenty to thirty
.Mnny of them work for themselves, some
making ns much ns $25 n week nt It. Thoro
nro men In the cities who denl In nothing
else, tho knurl gum exporters bulng nmong
thu chief business men of Auckland.
This gum comes from tho knurl pine, a
tree which Is often HO feet high and twelve
feet thick Thu knurl Is about the best
timber of Now Zenlnnd, nnd It is largely
used In building and furniture making. The
gum Ih the remains of tho great forests of
tho past which hnvo rotted away, leaving
this Imperishable resin, Somo of the treoa
nro barked for their gum, llko our turpen
tine trees of tho southern stntes. The
moat, howe-vor, still com s f r mil tho deposits
in tho swniups.
Anionic the Mitiirlx,
It Is wonderful how few Maoris ycu bcu
In traveling hrough N'w Zealand. Tlr-
nl original New ZoJlnudcr Is fast passing
nwoy. There are now about 40.000 left.
Thoy nro scattered over the coun'ry In
colonies, having their own reservations
nnd their own villages. Thoy nre repre
sented In Parliament by four members, nnd
they nro largely governed by their chiefs,
nlthough subject to the laws of the coun
try, I taw many of them In tho North
Island. The better clnBs dress In European
clothes, both men nnd women affecting
bright colors.
The men have magnificent physiques.
' ' ' '
SHEEP-EATING PARROT
Thoy nro big, broad-shouldered, heavy
weights, with strong necks, big hands nnd
big feet. They havo chocolato brown com
plexions, high cheek bones, with noses
more like thoso of the Anglo-Saxon than
i lio American Indian. Nearly all of the
men spenk English. Tlu nre Inoffensive
nml even when drunk do not raise as much
troublu as our American nborlglncs.
I rnther llko the Maori women. They
in u not especially good looking, but thoy
soeui well disposed, genial and pleas int.
Some of the younger ones are almost beau
tiful. At least, they would bo were It not
for their custom of tnitoolug cashmere
tdi.iwi pntterns on their chins and lips.
Tho tattooing turns tho cherry red of thcli
lips to tho blackness of Ink, In fnct, I
would as boon think of kissing an Ink bot
tle ns one of these tattooed Maori maidens.
And, still, If you keep your eyas well
raised the experience might bo worth tho
tilal Many of them have rosy complex
ions. They have luxuriant hair, heavy
eyebrows and beautiful eyes, liquid blak
and full of soul Somo of them nre clean,
nnd nearly alt are Intelligent. Their
benuty, howover, vanishes with yenis. Thoy
ago rapidly, until their faces look like
withered npples, puuctuied with Ink spo s,
I. nml of Hit- Tnltno,
Tho Maoris understand the science of
tuttnoiiig. In tho past both men and
women covered not only their faces but tho
greater part of their bodies with such
decorations. The grand chiefs had their
faces covered with ornamental spirals.
Thoy were tattooed on tho thighs and hips
In a Dolly Vnrdcn pattern, which often ex
tended from tho knees to tho waist, giving
his royal nibs tho appearance of having on
a pair of neat-fitting trunks.
Tho women then, as now, wcro tattooed
chiefly on the hips and chin, with a sort of
fish-hook curl at tho corners of the oyes.
Somo of the women had also their thighs
and breasts decorated, but I believe this
custom has since disappeared. Tho tattoo
ing Instrument was a small bono chisel,
which was driven In with a mallet. Thu
pain was so great that it could only bo
done In sections, a complete Job often last
ing for years.
When the English first canio here the
Maoris wero cannibals. Now they are
noarly all Christians. They havo their
own churches and schools, and the most of
them bcllevo In our religion. As to canni
balism, It was qulto general. Tho tribes
warred with one nnother, nnd after a bat
tlo thcro wob always a feast of human
llesh, In which tho women wcro not al
lowed to Join, It wns n disgrace to a man
to bo eaten, and for ono to hint that r
man's father had been eaten was taken as
nn Insult.
I havo before mo a paper which tells Juft
how ono of these cannlbnl feasts was con
ducted. One corpse wns sacrificed to tho
god of war and tho remainder wero given
up to the braves who had taken part In tho
battle. The cooking ovens wero dug out of
tho enrth. Tho human llesh was thrown In
ami kept there for about twenty-four hours.
When It was roasted the chief had the first
bite, then his sons nml then the wliolu
army. Tho eating was Interspeised with
Kinging and dancing nnd nil gorgol them
selves to such nn extent thnt many died nt
every banquet. After tho feast was over tho
remnlns were packfd up In baskets and sent
around to tho neighboring tribes. If thoy
were accepted tho tribes were supposed to
havo made a treaty of friendship with tha
senders nnd to be ready to fight with them
thereafter.
The Maoris had a far higher grado of civ
ilization than our American Indians. They
had a society of their own, tho people of
each tribe being divided up Into classes con
April I I, 1101.
OF NEW ZEALAND.
sisting of priests, chiefs, n middle class,
lower classes and slaves. They had their
own customs of war nnd wero so noted for
their brnvery that It Is doubtful whether
the English could hnve gnlncd n foothold on
tho Island without grent loss of life hud It
not been for their distensions among them
selves, FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Spring
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1.1111 DOlXiLAS STIIKKT, UMWIA.
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