To Delve into a Midden

To Delve into a Midden

From Ron Scarlett (1986:222): Sarah's Gully and Elsewhere. NZAA Newsletter v29(4)
One year there was a big earthquake in South America, followed by a tsunami which covered our beach and splashed up on part of the excavations. In intervals between digs I had been watching, from a little distance, a pair of banded dotterels which had a nest on the beach near cross creek midden. I knew their eggs were close to hatching before the tidal wave came, and was afraid the eggs would be ruined, and the parents, perhaps, drowned. It was a great relief when, shortly afterwards, I saw the birds, and two new chicks, running about the beach. The hatching was just in time. The same tsunami left a nice warm pool where our creek entered the sea in front of the site of Sarah's old whare. One afternoon, when the girls were all in camp, I stripped off and had a dip in the pool. Someone saw me, and called the girls who flocked to the top of the rise below our tents, but they were too far off to see much. It gave rise to more verse.

The strangest deep sea creature
washed upon our beach. 
Twas only Ron with nothing on,
and beyond the power of speech.

The last line is grossly inaccurate. The girls were a fine lot, but they were not above surrounding the men's tent, pulling up the pegs, simultaneously, and collapsing it on us.

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Part of the Sweat In the Sun Mate recordings with Rudy Sunde.

Composers

Verse tune from 10,000 Miles Away (Trad)

Chorus tune from Across the Line (Trad)

Lyrics

John Parry

Recording

MP3 file courtesy Garry Law.

Recorded at the old archaeology building, Symonds St, University of Auckland

Singers

Sue Bulmer with the Fernfire Singers.

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