Radio Digest. 1950-04-02, No. 49.

Radio Digest, Episode 49

Part 1. Theme music and introduction to Radio Digest Episode 49 which includes 'The Royal Society Exhibition', Moa Bones, an old Māori War Cry and a letter from Pitcairn Island {Includes reject cut at beginning}.

Part 2. The Royal Society Science Exhibition held in the Wellington Town Hall. The House Manager, Dr Dickson explains that the exhibition covers the relation of different sciences to the production of food. With an increased global interest between food and population the Royal Society decided to emphasize the relationship between scientific progress and food supply. Dr Dickson goes onto explain that the society had invited The Royal Institute of Chemistry, The Aeronautical Society and Victoria University College. The announcer takes listeners on a tour of some of the seven exhibitions. These were the geology and biology and food and health displays.

Part 3. Miss Patricia Anson broadcasts a talk on the BBC about her search for relics in New Zealand's Pyramid Valley. She describes the flora and fauna in and around Pyramid Valley near Waikari and the swamp where many skeletons of moa and other birds had been preserved. Some of these birds had never been seen before in New Zealand. The swamp was some four feet deep and smelt of sulphur and was similar to the bogs found in England. The bones of the birds were in good condition, twigs and leaves still retained their colour and the contents of the moas’ gizzards were still preserved.

Part 4. Pei Te Hurinui Jones explains the history behind the famous war cry [haka] of Te Rauparaha. A performance of Te Rauparaha's war cry recorded at a gathering of the old people of the Tūwharetoa tribe at Tokaanu, Waihi Bay.

Part 5. A letter from Reverend F. Percival Ward, the Pastor of Pitcairn Island, is read out to listeners. The letter is about the origin and history of the Pitcairn Island Bounty Bible that has connections with the Mutiny of the Bounty. The Bible was brought ashore by the mutineers in 1970. Eighteen years later an American ship, Topaz, called at the Island in 1808 and discovered the hiding place of the nine mutineers of Captain William Bligh's ship the Bounty. One of these, John Adams became the leader of the Island community until 1829. Ten years after Adams death his grandson, John, gave the Bible to Levi Hayden and his family passed it onto the Connecticut Historical Society. Margaret Saunders searched for the Bible and had it returned to the people of Pitcairn Island after it had been in America for 110 years.