FURTHER ARRIVALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 130, 3 June 1901, Page 5

FURTHER ARRIVALS.

THIRTEEN HUNDRED NATIVES PASSED THROUGH.

In addition to the Maori contingents reported elsewhere in this issue as having arrived on Saturday night, two further large parties, one of over 400 West Coast and Cook's Straits people, and 260 from the East Cape and (Jisborne, arrived here last night and this .morning. The West Coast contingent came up in the s.s. Rotoiti, which was packed with deck passengers, from New Plymouth to Onehunga, and the others were brought up by the s.s. Taieri from Gisborne. and way ports. In addition a party of 47 Hokianga natives arrived at Onehunga from the North by steamer, and came into town today. In all the arrivals on Saturday, Sunday and to-day total about 1300 natives—men, women and children. Most of these have gone, forward to Rotorua by train, and the rest follow to-morrow.

The West Coast contingent (numbering some 440) consists of members of all the tribes from Wellington up 'to Taranaki. There are parties of the Ngatiraukawa, Ngatitoa, Ngatiapa, ' Whanganui, Rangitane, Ngarauru and Ngatimanui tribes. The Ngatiraukawa people, of Otaki and vicinity, have brought with them a party of forty women, who are expert "poi" dancers, and the rivalry between them and the "poi" artistes of Rotorua will be great. The parties are headed by representative chiefs of all the tribes, including the following: Ropata te Ao, ex-^T.H.R., of Ngatiraukawa; Eruera of Horowhenua; Kipa te Whatanui, Rangihewea, Romana te Kotu, Wmiata Pataka, and others of the Wellington, district; Ru Reweti, of Whanganui; also Victoria Kemp, daughter of the late Major Kemp; Tv te Nge, of Ngatiruanui; Ratana Ngalime, of Ngatiapa; Aperahama Tipae, of Ngarattru (Waitotara district); and also the old tattooed warrior Topia Turoa, of Whanganui. Another man of rank who came up is Aporo te Kumeroa, of the Wairarapa district.

The Taieri's passengers from Gisborne and the East Cape are all members of the Ngatiporou tribe, who are looked to to furnish some very fine war daDces at the Botorua meeting. They number 260 in all, a.nd of these over 100 picked men have been selected to danfce the old-style warlike "peruperu," under the leadership of Tuta Nihoniho, one of the chiefs who assisted in the campaign under Major i Ropata against Te Kooti. Mr A. T. Ngata came up with his Ngatiporou people, and amongst the other chiefs of the party are tke veteran Te Houkamau, of Hicks' Bay, and Wireniu Potae. The forty-seven Hokianga natives who arrived to-day include the chiefs Raniera Wharerau (of Waima), Ec te Tai, Hapakuku Moetara, Taurau Toi, and others. They go up to the Hot Lakes to-morrow morning. A large number of Bay of Plenty people from Te Kaha to Opotiki are expected to arrive here this evening. The Kaipara natives come down next Friday. Amongst the Hawke's Bay arrivals yesterday was Mrs Airini Donnelly, of Omahu, near Napier. She went up to Rotorua to-day with her people of Ngvitikahungunu. About twenty of the Ngatiraukawa tribe from Wellington Province intend going up to Huntly this afternoon and stopping for the night at Waahi, Mahuta's settlement, they being related to Mahuta and his kin. They will try 'to get Mahuta to accept the Arawas' invitation. and induce him to go to Rotorua with them. As there is likely to be rather scanty accommodation for some of the natives at Rotorua the authorities are sending" about a hundred additional f tents up from Wellington, and more j temporary "whares" are being erected'i on the racecourse. The Urewera (Tuhoe) Maoris are expected to larrtivie at Rotorua this week, also the majority of the Lake Taupo contingent (Ngatituwharetoa). Mr Karaka Tarawhiti, assessor of the Native Land Court, who arrived here from Port Awanu i on Saturday night, intends going up to Huntly to try and stop his people of the Ngatiwhawhakia tribe (of which he is a chief) from bringing down their1 canoe, the Whawhakia, to take part, in the aquatic display. He considers the Waikato natives should respect the wishes of the Government, and go to Rotorua, :