page 184

No. 19.—Story of a Snake Hunt in Akaroa Harbour By Mrs. Tikao.

(Contributed by the Rev. J. W. Stack.)

The impression sure to be produced by the heading of this story will be, that it is simply a hoax which no amount of testimony can substantiate, for it must seem incredible in a country where such reptiles are unknown, that a snake hunt ever took place in the immediate vicinity of Akaroa. But the story will not appear so improbable when it is known that several attempts were made in the "early days," by visitors to these shores, to acclimatize snakes; and the presence of the reptile found and killed in these parts was doublessly due to the ill judged zeal of one of those insane naturalists, who, regardless of all consequences, seemed determined to solve the question whether snakes could exist in New Zealand. Mrs. Tikao's story is as follows:—"We had often listened with eager interest to the stories told by our countrymen of their narrow escapes from being bitten by serpents; and the accounts they gave of the deadly effect of snake bite only served to deepen our hereditary aversion to all reptiles. You can imagine the commotion and excitement caused by the reported discovery of a snake on the shores of the harbour. It was found by a coloured man named Jim, wbo lived for a long time with the Maoris at Takapuheke, near the Red House. He was a sober, industrious man, and highly respected by us. Having gone for some reason to O Tipua —the promontory between Akaroa and German Bay—he was startled by the discovery of unmistakable signs of a snake's presence. The spot where the discovery occurred was close to the cliff used by the men of war frequenting the harbour as a target. He hurried back at once to warn everyone against going near the place. He told the Maoris not to approach the place even for the shell fish found only at low water. There was no need to repeat the warning, for we were all too much alarmed to venture anywhere near O Tipua, and already in imagination we page 185saw the country swarming in venomous reptiles. Jim told us that he used to track and kill snakes in his own country, but that was so long ago that he almost forgot how to proceed, but he promised to do his best to rid us of the dreaded pest, which had appeared in such an unaccountable manner in our neighbourhood. There were two French men of war at anchor in the harbour at the time, and Jim applied to the captain of one of them for help, who supplied him with a musket and ammunition, and sent in one of the ship's boats to the spot where the indications which he first saw awakened his alarm. Everyone was very much interested in the success of Jim's efforts, and the Maoris, seated in boats and canoes, watched his movements from a safe distance. On landing, he proceeded cautiously along the hillside, picking his steps through the tussock grass and scrub. At last we lost sight of him altogether, and he was so long hidden from our view that we began to be alarmed for his safety, many exclaiming that he had fallen a victim to his zeal for the general safety. The report of his gun, however, assured us of his escape, and not long afterwards we saw him approaching the beach with something like an eel, about a yard long, fastened to the end of a rod. He brought it down to the beach, and showed it to us. It was spotted black and white Jim told us that it was necessary to burn it, in order to prevent its young ones coming out of its body and stocking the place, so a bonfire was made and the snake consumed."