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RAURU appears on a sketch map of the Waitaki River drawn by Te Ware Korari for Mantell in 1848; a copy may be seen in Johannes Andersen's Jubilee History of South Canterbury, page 39, where it is described as “an ancient settlement.” For many years the writer has wished to locate Rauru, and a few weeks ago along with a friend, another exploratory journey was made. From its position on the map Rauru should be found somewhere on Grays Hills station 37 miles from Fairlie. The moa-hunter quarry (No. 1 quarry) across the road from the Grays Hills homestead has been described by Murdoch, and later by J. R. Irvine. At present large willow trees have taken root in the quarry holes, and a covering of grass hides from view most of the waste material. An anvil in greywacke is still in position. In conversation with Mr. J. W. Grant who until recently owned Grays Hills I learned that there was a place 3½ miles from the homestead where flakes were very numerous. The hope that this was Rauru ran high. On the day of our arrival Messrs. Urquhart Bros., present owners of Grays Hills and Mr. Maurice Snushal of the station staff, escorted us to the spot described by Mr. Grant. Here, after a few minutes walk over a land surface practically bare of vegetation we came to a point from which we observed white quartzite flakes strewn over 2-3 acres. On closer inspection many were found underground—possibly due to dust burial. I was astonished at the amount of waste and at the small number of flakes showing retouch. The reef outcrop was followed for roughly 30 yards at a little below ground level. Here is seen clear evidence of the wide use made of the initial edge—the edge of a new fracture. Captain Cook noted the use of the “initial edge” was a Maori custom for he says: “When the small piece is blunted they throw it away and take another.”

At this, which may be distinguished as No. 2 quarry, a flake tool craftsman squared a lump of quartzite to take away so that he could replenish his dulled flakes as became necessary—the material could be used for knives only; it - 411 was too brittle for pointed tools. After carrying the lump some distance from the quarry he laid it down for reasons unknown, but fortunately for the finder! The site showed no evidence of tool-making other than knives, in which it differed strikingly from the Grays Hills site (Site No. 1). At this latter a great variety of tools were made. Perhaps tool-making was practised at Rauru, the inhabitants drawing their raw material from both quarries. The site of Rauru is still undiscovered.

In Canterbury and Otago large flakes of quartzite are, in my opinion, as reliable evidence of a moa hunter camp as cooked moa remains. In coastal camps the difference in colour of flake tools indicates the locality from which they were derived—the quarries being, in some cases, hundreds of miles apart. Mr. Adkin in his admirable work Horowhenua, figures a “knife” found with moa gizzard stones up the side of Mt. Waipehu and states that it is in material foreign to the locality. Placed among flakes from Grays Hills, difference in material might be revealed, but nothing more. It would be interesting to find where the Waipehu knife originated—is it a South Island product?

There is no evidence of cooking places near the Grays Hills quarries, possibly the work was carried out between meals from Rauru the elusive. In the meantime the quest goes on.

(In Dr. Roger Duff's Moa-hunters of Wairau a serpentine reel is figured (Fig. 20), from the Mackenzie County. “This was found by Mr. D. Urquhart, of “Streamlands,” at a point not far distant from the quartzite quarry of Grays Hills, the frequent use of which in Moa-hunter times has been established by McCully.” (p. 99.) Perhaps this serpentine reel was found on the actual site of Rauru. A description of the Grays Hills quarry and of implements excavated there will be found in J.P.S.—Ed.)