Export apple consignment away
The first consignment of apples from Central Otago for export to London has now gone forward for shipment per SS Cornwall. The Railway Department is taking particular care of the handling of this consignment to ensure its arrival at the steamer with the least possible chance of harm from handling. Included in this consignment are 50 cases of Winter Nelis pears sent as a trial shipment by a local orchardist. Pears from other parts of the dominion have not exported successfully in the past, but the local growers have strong faith in the keeping quality of this fruit, and in giving this shipment a trial. It will be interesting to learn later how this shipment of pears opens up.
Little luck for shooters
The opening of the shooting season has been very disappointing so far as those who went out after the ducks in close proximity to the city are concerned. In some cases parties on the Taieri did not get a shot, though a few small bags were secured, up to three or four to an occasional gun. The weather was too fine, the result being that the birds were generally well out of reach. The long wait proved more than some of the sportsmen could put up with, the result being that much speculative firing took place. The ducks became scared, and this added to the inaccessibility. A few were got about Waihola and some at the other lakes and Waipori, but the number of guns out was exceptionally large, and generally sport was unusually poor.
Maori legend published
An old Maori legend preserved by the late Mr Percy Smith in his "Wars of the Northern against the Southern Tribes", published 18 years ago is set out in the Taranaki News. "It is strange," says Mr Smith, "but prior to the advent of the white man the Maoris appear to have had an idea that they were to receive the visit of some strange race." The following is the prediction as told by Pangari of Hokianga somewhere about the year 1820. At that time Pangari was an old man, and he had heard the story when a child, as related by the old men of the Ngapuhi: ‘In the days of old when Maoi was alive he told this story: Maoi was a tohunga, a priest, and when he approached his end, he said to Ngapuhi. "It will not be very long before I die, nor very long after I am dead, that a god will come to the crest of the wave and ghosts (kerhua) huia will be on his back. That god will be like the canoes in appearance, but he will be much longer, and he will sail all over the ocean, over everywhere. He will never be mistaken in his course over the ocean. He will sail away and will not be seen by the people. After a long disappearance another god will appear, who will be like the former one. The first god will come by the age of sails, but the latter by the aid of fire." It was not until 20 years after Pangari spoke of this prophecy that the first vessel arrived in New Zealand."
ODT, 4.5.1922
