MAORIS' WELCOME.

MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY. DUCHESS CALLED KAHUKANGI. "SOMETHING RARE AND BEAUTIFUL." STIRRING SCENE ON ARAWA PARK. (By Telegraph!— Own Correspondent.) ROTORUA, this day. This morning the sun rose in a kind ,i]cy and smiled out of a faultless blue jetting upon the picturesque Arawa Park, toward which there was a stream of traffic from soon after 6 o'clock, though the Maori reception was not to begin before nine. It was a brilliant scene upon the racecourse, with its swarming peapl£ pa,keha and Maori, to the sloping bills of Tijritere. To the left arose the noble eminence of Ngongotaha. witli its thickjy wooded -crown showing;'darkly green, against the .vivid' blue of 'the sky. In front sparkled the clear waters of lovely: Lake Rocorua. Gathering of the Tribes. From the grandstand, which was filled to its capacity, despite the seemingly prohibitive charge of £1 1/ (reduced from £1 10/), there was a spectacle startling in its impressiveness. On the lawn below, squatting at their ease, yet trembling with a suppressed excitement, were the Ngatipikaos, the womfen in front wearing garlands and carrying boughs of greenery; warriors stripped to the waist, some wearing mats, and all garbed in piupiu or waistmat, made of flax, which rustled as they moved. These natives were from the Bay of Plenty,

On the right were squatted burly men from Taupo and Whakarewarewa, the Ngatituwhare-toa and the Tuhourangi. Their women were ranged at the rear of their squad, and all wore rich looking mats with embroidered bands round their dusky brows. Their long black dresses flowed unconfined. the warriors were armed with the old-time tewha tewha, or battle axe, JDd the six ; foot pointed spears. Directly under the Royal eyes, fronting the .dais, were the people descended from tjie Mfttatya canoe, who hailed if'ori} Maketu and that vicinity. Their toas or braves wore scarlet red waigt:loths, while their women wore red and purple blouses, the red contingent coming from Maketu way, while the purples were the Tuhoe, or "Children of the Mist," from the Urewera fortresses. Women in Mourning. Behind these Bay of Plenty people came the well-known Ngatiwhakane, .of Ohipemutu, this band being comprised entirely of women, J2O strong. They entered the arena to a slow march, each girl touching the shoulder of the one '■n front, while in her right hand she twirled her poi. The girls are usually ?*y in red, white and blue, as all tourists know, but to-day, in confan&nce with the unveiling of the Arawa war Memorial later in the day, they were ill garbed in sombre black, with purple shoulder sashes, the colours of mourning for the dead of their race who fell fightl"g on fiejds far away. Standing five deep around the fence « the lawn the public were there in 'hejr thousands, pakeha and Maori, and » fine touch was added to the scene''by fhe arrival shortly after nine o'clock o'f 300 officers and men of the Renown, who «ad come up by special train to witness 'he ceremony. They marched into the grandstand enclosure to the strains of a welcoming march bv the Renown's ''and, already at its station, and to '>e accompaniment of cheers from the people.

Time passed, and there was yet no • s '?n of the arrival of the Royal party which, however, was not expected by '.'iHciajs until 9.45. A few minutes before that time Mr. Coates, in his • npacity as Native Minister, wearing a korowai mat, accompanied by Mrs. Coates, who wore a mat of kiwi feathers, and Sir Maui Pomare, also "earing a korowai, went to the gate wait in readiness for the Duke and l- v ichess, Challenged at the Gate. Precisely to time the Royal couple entered, the charming little Duchess in her attractive pale pink, with parasol, ind the Duke in his naval uniform. As they stood at the . entrance they were challenged. On the left of the front 'auk of warriors was an old chief named Hemana Pokiha, the grandnephew of -He famous Major Fox, who fought for 'he pakeha in the Maori Wars. Hernana carried the presentation sword which ivas given by Queen Victoria to the galant major. Thus, many yqars afterWrds, the descendants of the chief and ilia Queen met in friendly greeting.

The party then advanced towards the grandstand, where they encountered a fierce challenge from the Tuhouringi and Ngati Tuwharetoa, who followed with an earth-shaking war dance. Despite the terrifying gestures of the opposing warriors the familiar smile of the Royal lady never faltered, and the Duke also smiled into the array of fiercely brandished spears as the warriors leaped high in a simulated war frenzy. The dance ceased with a final yell of defiance, after which they bowed as though they suddenly recognised friends and then came a striking stillness, in which the Duke and Duchess stepped up on to the Royal 1 dais, where they were immediately Invested by Sir Maui Pomare with the mats and head feathers of princely rank, amid the applause of the onlookers. The Formal Address. The address of the natives was then read and presented by Mr. Coates. Tikina kite tahatu ote rang! kukume mai ai Haeremal! To Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York. May it please your Royal Highnesses: Welcome 1 Welcome ! \\ elcoiue! Sou, \\ eicorae! Second of that nauie your Royal Father bore to. this distant land a Ecueratlon ago. Welcome! • Thrice has Royalty deigned to honour our court-yard, to euter our "humble "ho'use and to walk among us. It is good! ' . Thon hast fulfilled that word we spoke on this ground to your eider brother, that those who govern this far-flung Empire should walk and talk with its peoples in all Its severed parts, and so understand and be understood of them. Come then in that spirit of trust, Wherein England appeals to the hearts of all races, knitting them surely together in peace and goodwill. Welcome, the Messenger of the Era to be, when space and distance may be made of small account, when words and works may encircle the globe, as does the sun, so that no part of the Empire may brood in gloom and there conspire evil. Daughter of an honoured [louse, Welcome Welcome 1 Thus did that first Royal Duke appear before the eyes of our fathers, with his Lady 1 Welcome, the Second Duchess! Ha! Is it a' woman's peace you bring? Woman's hands and woman's tears have soothed the wounds of a warring world. Now woman strives for the peace of God, an enduring peace, the peace which passes all understanding

Welcome then, embodying the ever.recurrlng hopes of mankind for a state in which health, happiness, and prosperity shall prevail. There are ruined homes to be built again; there are broken hearts to be mended. There aTe empty places to be peopled; there are waste places to be turned Into gardens. Come, then, with the. Empire's call to all your kind, to cement its foundations anew in seriousness, with patience and forbearance. Welcome then., lioyal Son and August I,ady ; ! We do not need to repeat vows already made to His Majesty tho King and to his Eldest Son. Loyalty has become a tradition of the Maori tribes of New Zealand, who have come to know and to value thp things for which the Crown stands. The generation which welcomed your Royal Father has passed away, and with it has gone many of the old-time ways and customs of our people. How else could It be? Aotearoa and Te Walpoupamu have become the com.qion inheritance of your people and our peo'ple. Welcome and Farewell! I'ass' on to that larger land where awaits your ultimate duty, the dedication of yet another cornerStone in the proud edifice of Empire. Haere ra ! Haere ra! ' The Duchess was immediately invested by the Maoris with the rank of princess, under the most appropriate title of Jvahurgngi, which means something rare and beautiful. Sir Maui Pomare read the address in the native language to the assembled Maoris, all now squatting in perfect quiet. When he concluded, they applauded with a burst of hand-clapping. The Duke was loudly cheered as he advanced to the front of the dais and made reply, at first falteririgly, but later with more confidence, and in a loud, clear voice.

"I thank you for your address," he said simply, "and I will comiminciate to the King, my father, the message of loyalty and devotion you have conveyed to his soil. The tribes are well known, and practically proved in war. The King and Queen have not forgotten the time they spent among you. Their Majesties remain deeply interested in' all that concerns your welfare, and they will desire to know of our reception among you, and of the changes that have come. Changes do conic with time, bjit you retain your traditional loyalty, courage, and chivalry, and all will be well with you and your children. Your kind words about the Duchess are such as she deeply appreciates. All that relates to the welfare of women and children is very near to her heart. As you have said, it is a good thing that those who live in different parts of the Empire should meet and talk with one another, so that they may be knit together in understanding and sympathy. For this reason, we welcome our visit to you. We desire to see your life and customs for ourselves, so we may tell the people in the Homeland when -we return. We thank you all for your welcome. We have greatly enjoyed seeing the wonders of your country, of which we had heard so much, and will be very sorry when our stay conies to an end. We wish you all happiness and prosperity in the years to come. Kia oral"

The Duke's speech was acknowledged with a fine ovation, and there was further applause when he was presented with no fewer than eighteen walking sticks, with silver tops engraved with the Royal monogram. Haka, Dance, and Song. There followed a. stirring haka by the Taupo and Whaka warriors, after which the maidens of the Maketu district gave a beautiful canoe poi dance. Then came a beautiful waeroa, or long-string poi, given by the maidens of the Ureweras, garbed in purple knee-frocks, with strings of rimurimu fern hanging frOm their necks and waists, arid head feathers from the long-tailed cuckoo. This dress produced a most picturesque effect. The dance concluded with the musical singing of "Come Back to Us in the Summer Time." The performance was vociferously applauded by pakeha and Maori alike.

A striking picture was presented by the women of Whakarewarewa and Taupo tribes, who in two rows, wearing a red drapery with long flax piupius, danced a poi and sang "Flow On, 0 Tide" in delightful cadence. This was followed by a beautiful combination, a poi canoe in front and a long poi in the rear, and the tribe in front, the actions being performed to the accompaniment of love chants. The performance received an ovation. Twenty maidens of the Tapuika tribe from Te Puke, advanced. They were attired in white, with long piupius, which they frequently swished, blue sashes, red necks and short sleeves, and a feathered head-band. With prancing warriors at their flank and rear they were an extremely picturesque group, and their poi was declared to be the most novel and beautiful poi of the day. The Arawa Lament. The advent of the splendid maidens from Ohinemutu was the signal for enthusiastic applause. Headed by Pirika, one of the principal chiefs, prancing and waving a battleaxe, the six score maidens made a magnificent long line which wound around until it formed five lines in front of the Royal dais, with an Ohinemutu mixed choir in the rear, singing the haeremai, "Come, Arawas, and bring proof of your affection to the Duke and Duchess. Show them the evidence of your love." The girls formed a double canoe as the song proceeded, with a kneeling row behind and two standing ranks. The song proceeded to a lament. Haeremai te Arawa, Mauria mai Te Aroha, Mote hunga rua mate, I te tiamana e. The English of this is:—

"Conic, o Arawa, Bring with you your love; Your love for those who died, Who died at German hands." At a-quarter after 11 o'clock the Duke and Duchess left the ground to the beautiful strains of a Maori farewell, concluding with the ever-green "Ka mate, ka mate; ka ora, ka ora," which came into much popularity at the time of the visit of the King and Queen 2G years ago, and has never since been absent from Maori gatherings. Duke Unveils Memorial. Immediately the Duke and Duchess left the racecourse there was a wild rush of thousands of people to the Government grounds, where His Royal Highness unveiled a handsome memorial erected by the Arawa tribe in perpetual remembrance of their sons who. in the Great War loyally upheld the cause of their God, their country and their King. This was. a purely religious ceremony, of an inspiring nature, and the Kev. F. A. Bennett, a native minister, assisted by other native clergymen, officiated, and grouped around the enclosure were school children, returned soldiers, and girl guides. The singing of "The Old Hundredth," in which the Duke and Duchess, joined heartily, opened the proceedings, and the Lord's Prayer followed. After the singing of other hymns the Duke pulled a ribbon and.unclosed the flags, which fell away and revealed a piece of handsome statuary. In the course of his short speech the Duke said he desired to pay a tribute to the devotion and loyalty of the honoured dead. He then placed a beautiful wreath at the foot of the monument on behalf of the Returned Soldiers' Association. As at all functions, returned Maoris were most prominent, and their voices when singing added beauty to the ceremony. Party Leaves for Tokaanu. The Royal party left for Takaanu shortly before two o'clock this afternoon, and had a most rousing send-olf from thousands of people who lined the streets for a considerable distance out of the town.