SIR GEORGE GREY'S VISIT TO THE KAIAPOI NATIVES.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1331, 12 February 1867, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY'S VISIT TO THE KAIAPOI NATIVES.

After his Excellency and suite had finish.-*} tho siglit-sceing of Kaiapoi, they once m committed themselves to the "jare of °\\ Knox and his team of bays, and followed h the Native chiefs, tho deputation from tf Christchurch City Council the £ j Council, eec, and escorted by a guard ? h mounted troopers, under Inspector Pent. were soon on their to the Maori pa. 'nf' I corlt'iji took the route through the sandhill* ' and though a rough and uneven road (V horses in all the vehicles were keptnt a tearing ' pace all the way to the rendezvous at the Bet J. W. Stack's. At tho junction of the road ? branching from tho main North road to th pa, and on the entrance to what ia tunned tho Maori reserve, an arch of evergreens had been erected, and from this point to the fita of tho intended church, a distance of abottfa mile and a-half, the road was marked out by annul Hag* fixed to the fences.

On arriving within a few minutes' w a |j of the Rev. J. W.jStaok's house, tho vico-rwm] party alighted, nnd walked the rest of the distance. At this place a handsome au| more pretentious arch of evergreens, tloweri and Hags had been erected, and along each side of the road for some distance the Maoris were nrraugod in tiles, tho men on tho right side and the women on tho left, On the party noaring the nrch, about a dozen of the latter came forward and sung a sort of chutmfc. evidently expressing thtit pleasure at his Excellency's visit, and on his reaching the arch, after bowing his acknow. r lodgments, a lusty hurrah was given bj the ; whole of thoso assembled. Hero tho part? ivas met by several Indies and gentlemen ' from Woodend and Rangiora; also by tho Rev. J. W. Stack. Tho whole of tho Natives, it may bo well to remark, wero dressed in full English costume from top to too, and certainly the men, many of them with their " bell top. pers" and good black coats, as well as thj • ladies with their scarlet jackets, white round- ' about hats, and silk dresses with, in some in- ( stances, a profusion of costly jewelry displayed, | bore a very good comparison to their neigh- ; ri bors, from whom their oxamplea had beoa I borrowed.

His Excellency and party, after passing thii largo mustor of Natives, passed on to the third triumphal arch, a larger and more taste- '' ful one than the others, ]and turning to tho t right entered the grounds of Mr Stack, at the [ entrance to which tho children of Mrs Stack's J, school wero drawn up in line. After spending i T some time in noticing the children his Excel- s lency entered tho house, which besides being - beautifully decorated with /lowers was hung f all over with Hags, lent by tho Ohriatchurch »' City Council. A number of tho residents ia f tho neighborhood had taken up their position ' hero to witness tho arrival of the Governor, 1 and many of them wore presented to Lis Excellency.

After partaking of somo refreshment), a procession in tho following order was marshalled .-—The Rev. J. W. Stack lod the mj, followed by eighteen of the principal Maoris of tho pa ; then camo the cliiluren of tho school walking two and two, aud tho following clergymen wearing their surplices, the Revs. W. W. Willock, J G. Cholmondley, R. J. Juckeon, H. Torlesse, and tho Reverend tho Doan, \k Rev. 13. W. Dudley. Sir Georgo Greya/ . suite were next in order, followed by \\ Honor tho Superintendent, tho Kaiapoi at! Christchurch Municipal Councils, and a number of ladios and gentlemen, followed again bj v a great number of Maoris. In this ordor the , ~ procession moved off, and on tho routo to tlif' site of tho intended church passed through . a fourth arch of evergreens, still more magm- 5 ficeut than any of tho others, on which s crown, V. R., the word " Welcome," with tin letters underneath G. G., were most inge-; niously devised, and in common with tho other | works of a similar description showod tlai * r evident pains had been bestowed by tho man- j ager of the whole affair to do full honor to flu r~ occasion. ? , On the arrival of the procession at the aita of |*' tho church the clergyman took up v position: on the north side of the Btone, immediate!;. backed up by the excellent choir of tho Baa- ■ giora Church, under Mr Merton'a able loadership, while his Excolleney and suite occupied the west side. Tho Rev. J. W. Stack, and thi, principal chiefs Petite Hori and Koro Maita!, -. as the principal office-bearers of the church) ■ occupied the west sido of tho circle round th» i s one, wh eh, pending tho proper time for iii < being lowered, was suspended on also gaily decorated, and bearing # thi j words, just above the atone—"Christ ii j our corner-atone," worked in evergreen*. Moro than six hundred persons were prewt ; ■ as spectators of the ceremony, and wero moity J arranged on a largo timber platform, »W -. afforded a capital view of the whole. Thi •< choir opened the proceedings by chaunting M / 122 nd psalm, after which prayer was offerM by tho Rev. J. W. Stack, in Maori. Tha Vff. 13. W. Dudley read the prayers appointed to . bo read at church consecration, and a leaM in Maori was read by tho Riv. J- V 7. Stadj nnd the second lesson by the Ron »• "' Willock. A silver trowol, bearing an upprt" priute inscription, was then handod to M Excellency, and a bottlo, containing the■ wUo* ing memorandum was deposited under I Btone : " This foundation stono of St. Church was laid by Sir Georgo Grey, S-t-»< Governor of New Zealand, &0., A 0.,.0""* - ninth day of February, in tho year tf«J Lord ono thousand eight hundred and W ( seven. Henry John Chitty Harper, » Bishop ; James West Stack, curato; J*"* y - Eori and Roro Maitai, churchwardens; *•»' * Purohas, architect j Herbortson and op* - • builders." t » til * His Excellency then proceeded to I J J \ stone, which was lowored into its phw* tho usual ceremonies. Tho Re?- ,' j, '' Dudley pronounced tho blessing, ftnd .*\j. ; lection was afterwards made by tho caan* j W&rQ6Tlfl i c* The procession then reformed and retara • to Mr Stack's house, where the > ' were arrangad on the lawn » , of the house, and one, tha oldest - habitant of the Mario pa, arrayed* g Native costume, with the exception oi * ■ smoking cap, was presented to his Ji*^ 8 ~ who shook hands with him. Tho ~^, f . name is To Muiru. Ho is oboufc W \- - • old, but apparently enjoys the M> u '* r<f . , his faculties. He appeared to bo r powered with pleasure at the ooy v Kswllency took of him. A runanga Q < ■ heads of families was then held, »j'» .„ .;• lowing account of which wo a"> mm ."< Mr Stuck. v^ii[rj The first to speak was Wiremo .j. ifape, who naked his Excellency j* — part of tho burial grouud at & claimed by the Government, sbouio turned to them. 'tiilfer* Tins request, after a conference Richardson and his Honor the SupflW" was assented to by his Excellency. _ jS J The next claim was from B **W,J , Jlenero Percita, and which his refer to tho Native Lmds Court, w_ . tho claim of tho Kaiapoi 5 ' land lying between tho seaward r4^ ffft j » east aud tho seaward rango on W tho province, miglit bo granted ' The claim of Natun an ura was r «- e ;^ flB , # „ same Court. Ho requested taat *. the Kaiapoi reserve might ba «J?"2 tf jff _~ To Aika asked for tho 1 * - Mantell's promise, that ho should t» ■»

*"" on the Puharakekenui stream. that if Mr Mantell had H would he kept. »' JeSOC, __ P appUcation was referred to the Th- next »PPJ urt Ifc was from Mikaera, Jfativo U*™ plYect that Al£o Ake, an island tt nd w ; IS . . icll had been used as a burial atKi The returned to Ihaia Tamut, who we -round, D 0 kig a Maori who has been for m»y b . ero *L thp West Coast, and has secured a gometitneon tiw TJ - 0 agked that the S°° d X,t reWreT might be subdivided W ° St 7 the Maori owners, and also that Sm °f r and shot might be as freely sold to the F° • . „» to Europeans. Maorl ,f Hori a«ked that a meeting of the P ' U T«Ss Court should be held to settle Xd St of many of tho Natives. To • u\, -p-sßelleiiey assented. ft s£ M <£vSor Sien took leave of his Maori I !t« and amid a lusty hurrah betook his |2 in '£ carriage, aud returned to Christchurch.