The Visit Of The Prince.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1927, Page 7

The Visit Of The Prince.

An Unforgettale Epoch. —Edward's Unbounded Popularity. There are few Aucklanders vho "will forget that still, sunny morning of April. 24, 192 i, when the great Renown came majestic-ally through the Rangit'.'CO Channel, swept grandly around North Head, and dropped anchor in the Waitemata, while cheering crowds from every vantage-point gave s'ad welcome to the heir to the Throne Edward, Prince of Wales. It -was a great day, an unforgettable day. From earliest morn the horizon had been searched, for a sight of the Renown, and as soon as she was signalled to have entere-i the gulf, hundreds ocf motor boats and white-ringed yachts made orrt, and, surrounding the wonderful warship, formed a picturesque escort for her into the harbour. Every small craft with a siren sounded it; its crew cheered lustily; bands played. The people, darkly massed on the slopes of Rangitoto, and on North Head, roared their welcome, and every throat was strained to ecstaey as the gallant young Edward climbed to the lookout and waved his acknowledgements. Here he had arrived at the first of the island continents, at another home of the British race, which -was here, so far from its source, thriving exceedingly. --.. The enthusiasm with which the Prince was greeted when he landed, a?ad was driven in a processiou of motor cars to Government House, was a revelatioD as to how Xew Zealanders, generally slow to applaud, may be moved on rare occasions to a ■wonderful enthusiasm. How the people cheered! The Prince was stirred to the heart. He could not contain himself. He stood upon the seat of the car, waving greetings to the crowd, whose response was electrifying. At Government House, the address of the people was read by? the Prime Minister, the late Mi", Massey, and there followed an informal reception at the Town Hall. Later in the day the Prince reviewed 5000 . returned soldiers and cadets, and every man who hJd been wounded was presented to him individually. The cheering on this occasion was terriiic. The following day was Anzac Day —a Sunday—and the. Prince attended the services at the Town Hall. The memory of the war was then fresh, and the scene was a moving one. as women who had lost their near and dear sobbed at once their grief and their homage to the Prince, as representative of the Throne. The Royal parity made for the South by train. Passing Ngaruawaliia, the Prince had a great greeting from the Maoris, and at Hamilton he was met bv the Mayor, who had very sensibly dropped his mayoral robes, and assumed the simple private's uniform he had worn at the war. Two wonderful days were spent by the Prince at Rotorua, where he was given a characteristically hearty Maori greeting, shook lands with a long line of returned Maori soldiers, and visited all the wonders of the thermal district. The young Edward was entranced by the Maori dances and hakas. The address presented by the Maoris was characteristic of these fine and picturesque people. "You bring with you," it said, "memories of our beloved dead. They live again, who strove with you on the fields of Tu. in many lands beyond the seas. Your prfesence there endeared you to the hearts of our warriors. Your brief sojourn here will soften the sorrows of those whose dear ones have followed the setting sun. . . Welcome and farewell! Return in peace, wiihout misgivings, bearing to His Majesty the King ajid Her Majesty the Queen the renewal of the oa.tji we swore to them on this ground a. generation ago. The Maori people will be true till death, and so farewell!"