THE ROYAL TOUR

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 14

THE ROYAL TOUR

Prince Henry At Rotorua MAORI WELCOME PICTURESQUE CEREMONY OPMS3 asspi-iatioh iiuc-iia.l ROTOR UA. December 22. TVit'n all the symbolism and fertr;Ur of v.-iiich native sentiment is ■capable, and enacted amid settings n<; inspiring as they were picturesque, the Maori welcome to the Duke of Gloucester to-day was a magnificent demonstration. Calling to their aid the poetry and Ihe warrior instincts of taeir race, 2000 selected natives, led by Sir Apirana Ngata in Maori costume, voiced by the thunder of the haka. the rhythm of the poi dance and the forcefulness of gesticulation their message.-; of goodwill, continued unswerving loyalty to the Throne and steadfastness of the belief in the beneficence <>f the British rule. Few of those privileged to sec fiie event will ever forget the spectacle presented at Arawa Park when thr> present generation lived again for a while (lie warlike moments of their ancestors, proud of their right to phont "ilacremai" to the third jrrrat-gi'andson of the beloved, great white mother, Queen Victoria. Those taking part lost themselves in the inspiration of the moment and of ail the impressions the Duke will carry to England that of the homage paid to him to-day will assuredly he in the forefront. Cheering Crowd The gala spirit. i»f New Zealand's famous thermal centre had the town under its command from an early hour, and long before the departure <->f the Royal party for Arawa Park rvery vantage point had been captured. It. was through a cheering crowd that the Duke made a triumphant appearance on the marae entrance. The vast crowd received its first inspiration from the dashing challenge of the outrunners with piercing cries of welcome, and the tribal representatives received the Royal visitor. This phase was in the hands of the Arawas. From Ngati-Tuwha-retoas came the war dance with its stirring message of "Warrior meets warrior, man to man as the battle is joined." Equally expressive was the command to valour of the Ngatiraukawa haka which followed. In vivd action it exhorted the slash of the weapon to sever the restraining bonds of liberty. The Prince slowly ascended the dais and turned his face to the assembled tribes. There was a dramatic pause. Chanting voices penetrated the silence as the first words of their national anthem, "Kamate, Kamate," thundered forth. Exemplifying the unity of races was the blending of Maori and pakeha voices in the singing of the National Anthem in English.

The Maori speech of welcome was *?nclr»sed in a carved frame carried by a party of Maori chiefs to the foot of the dais, accompanied by a chant with the appropriate actions whi"h formerly flourished as a song of defiance or derision. In deep, re■o.iant tones, the Bishop of Aotearoa (the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett) read the Maori text, the English version being delivered by the Nalive Minister Cthe Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes). One striking passage epitomised the spirit of New Zealand's welcome. It read: "Thou treasure from the far land, thou who weareth the .sacred plume and sit among the highest of the earth, thou son of Tanc, welcome. Hail to his august Majesty and the nower of Empire, till hail." Maori's Outlook The outlook of the Maori did not escape mention. "We are troubled in spirit." said the message in part, "and arc wondering what will bernme of us in days to come in the distress of the pakeha world, when the strong peoples of the earth will master their desires over weak ones that may lie in their path. Come then, (o renew that message of goodwill which Victoria gave to her people so that they may be assured once more that the mantle of protection which she spread over them, and the heart and faith of your Maori people will be strengthened." A colourful action song was the item which succeeded the Duke's reply. Its keynote was that the march to happiness for all upon earth was along the road of love and the highway of faith. Stirring and impressive were the men's ceremonial dance and the haka of welcome by the women of the Matatua tribe, and the haka and graceful poi of the Ngaiterangi tribe. The impression created by the- Ngatituwharetoa women's dance of welcome and ruri, and the men's ceremonial dance, had not faded when ihe Arawas' combined items of poi, action song, and haka were presented. Back were turned the pages of history while the song recalled the coming of the Arawa Canoe. Descending from the dais, his Royal Highness passed through the quivering lane of performers before hearing the farewell chorus and the "haere ra" of the natives. Subsequently he inspected the model Maori pa and attended a civic reception, where a less spectacular but equally warm pakeha welcome was

giver.. Duke's Reply The Duke said: "Greeting to you all. The King and Queen will welcome the assurances of loyalty which I shall bear to them from their Maori people. Nearly 100 years ago your fathers became the loyal sudjects of my great grandmother, Queen Victoria, and thereafter in peace and war they staunchly upheld the Throne and Empire and worked with their pakeha brothers fr.f the welfare of New Zealand. "You have told me of the joy with which you regarded the visits of my father and mother and of my brothers to this fair land. I bring you words of greeting from the people of Great Britain and a renewal of the promise that whatever the future brings forth the Empire ian remam your shield and giiardi tivl 8 re l 0 f ? to learn that representaI '«^°o f SeSs^f- a l-e

the charter of your liberties. I hope this friendly inter-tribal contact may be maintained and help to perpetuate the pride in your ancient race and traditions as well as your beautiful language, your music, your dancing and your handcrafts. "I thank you for the enthusiastic and picturesque welcome with hakas and poi dances with which you received me to-day. When I leave these shores and cross the sea of Kiwa past Hawaiki whence your fathers came, I shall bear away grateful memories of this day and of the warm-hearted Maori people. Fare you well." Beauties of Rotorua The beauties of Rotorua were praised by the Duke in replying to a combined pakeha and Maori welcome at the civic reception. The Duke said the loyalty of the Arawa tribe was of long-standing duration, and it was demonstrated afresh in the Great War when they took their place beside their brother New Zealanders and earned an equal reputation on the battlefield. "There is no place I am more glad to visit and to see than Rotorua, of whose wonders and beauties I have so often heard from my brothers," he continued. "I know that I shall go away as much impressed as they were by the variety of its attractions.

"I wish you all a merry Christmas and every happiness in the New Year."

VISIT TO THERMAL REGIONS WEIRD ACTIVITIES EXPLAINED PRINCE TSES CINEMATOGRAPH CAMERA (PRIS3 ASSOCIATION TEI.EGJSAM.) ROTORUA, December 23. With his portable cinematograph camera the Duke of Gloucester took moving pictures to-day of the Lady Knox geyser at Waiotapu and the Kerapiti blow-hole at Wairakei. Soaped for the benefit of the Duke, the Waiotapu geyser played in spectacular fashion, its shot of spray and steam rising 60 feet into the air, with the sunlit bubbles floating away from the mantle of smoke. Thermal activity in its most concentrated form was seen by the Prince at Wairakei. He spent more than an hour in the geyser valley. The weird activities were explained to him in detail. As at Whaka, he found much attraction in the porridge pots and threw a stone into the bubbling mud. From the resultant splash specks of mud clung to one leg of his trousers. Outstanding among the sights was the silica encrusted terraces, down which every 20 minutes water above boiling point cascades. There was a fine display at the dancing roc!:, where some members of the party received several drops from the shower. The Duke found much delight when the guide threw kerosene tins into the vent of the Kerapiti blowhole, and laughed heartily as the tins were projected into the air. After taking a cinematograph picture the Duke tested the force of the uptight by holding a wooden batten over the vent.

Over a portion of the journey to Aratiatia the Duke drove his car, and at 4 p.m. went in search of trout from the Aratiatia reaches of the Waikato river. The fish were not rising in the Waikato river, although the Duke persevered until nightfall. However, the trout he landed weighed four pounds. His Chief of Staff, Major-General Howard-Vysc. had more success fishing at Awaliou, where the Duke yesterday secured the best bag. Major-General How-ard-Vyse caught seven fish. The largest weighed five pounds.

MAORI CHURCH AT OHINEMUTU DIKE ATTENDS SERVICE U'HRSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) ROTORUA, December 23. There was an historic Maori background to the divine service attended by the Duke ot Gloucester at Ohinemutu to-day. The little carved church has already been made famous by the worship there of the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York. The service, winch was conducted by the bishop of Aotearoa. the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, was in Maori, although several Europeans were present. The installation of Joud speakers enabled 300 persons on the marae outside the church clearly to hear every word of the service. The singing of carols and anthems, and a harmony of Maori music was heard. Drooping above the pulpit was a Union Jack, battered and torn, but as the Bishop said, "its colours still flew over the seven seas of the world." Taking as his text "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters," Bishop Bennett described how the British Empire had sown its good seeds in all parts of the world, and how in New Zealand missionary and colonisation work had influenced the natives to come under the beneficence of British rule. The Maori race felt highly favoured in participating in the welcome to the Prince.

DEPARTURE FOR AUCKLAND FINAL CHEER FROM RIG CROWD (PRISS ASSOCIATION' TELECKAM.) ROTORUA, December 23. Although the hour was late, a large crowd waited outside the 1 hotel to see Prince Henry leave for the Royal train, and give him a final cheer. The train will depart from the station at 4 a.m. to-morrow, and Is due at Auckland at 9.55 a.m. There will be a brief reception at the railway station by the Mayor (Mr G. W. Hutchison). After the procession through the main streets of the city, the Duke will inspect the Royal guard of honour, and attend the civic reception. At Government House, inmates of the Institute for the Blind will be presented to the Duke, who will lay a wreath on the cenotaph at noon.

FISHING IN LAKE KOTORTJA

DUKE CATCHES NINE TROUT THREE'HOURS IN A DINGHY (FRB3S ASSOCIATION TELIGBAU.) ROTORUA, December 23. Nine well conditioned fighting trout, the largest of which weighed four pounds, were caught by the Duke of Gloucester in three hours' fly fishing at Awahou, on Lake Rotorua, yesterday afternoon. It was the biggest individual catch among the party, which landed a total of 22 fish. With a fresh north-east wind blowing, the sky was overcast at times and the lake choppy. Conditions were ideal for fishing at the outlet of a large spring on the western side of the lake near Ngongotaha. The size and condition of the trout were considered by experts to be exceptionally good for this time of the year. Immediately the Royal suite arrived fish were seen to be rising and Prince Henry, in company with members of his staff, pushed off in a dinghy. Using a fly designed from owl skin by Mr A. Kean, conservator of game fish, who made the-ar-rangements for the outing, the Duke with his first cast struck a threepound trout, and landed it. Prince Henry, who displayed exceptional skill in handling his rod, found the sport to his liking, as did the other members of the party, including the chief of staff, MajorGeneral H. G. R. Howard-Vyse and Captain A. Curtis, both of whom were also successful with the rod. The dinghy was shifted on several occasions, but at no time was it more than 100 yards from the shore. Probably the Prince would have taken the limit for the locality, 15, had he prolonged his visit. > The Prince was again at the wheel for part of the journey to the park. At Whaka the Duke saw bubbling mudpools and hissing geysers. The wreath to be deposited by the Duke on the Auckland cenotaph on Monday was made by the poppy factory of the British Legion, in London. From the same source came the wreath placed on the shrine of the Wellington Citizens' War Memorial. The Prince writes himself the card which is attached. Two similar wreaths are carried for deposit on the memorials in Christchurch and Dunedin. Last night was free of engagements for the Duke, who dined with his suite and the Prime Minister's party at the hotel. SIR ARIRANA NGATA'S JOKE iritESS ASSOCIATION Tf.LIGBAM.) ROTORUA, December 22. The old Maoris present at the welcome to the Duke of Gloucester were overjoyed with the exhibition of the hak'a and dance teams, who were really acting as spokesmen for the crowd of natives present. All the hakas were specially adapted to honour the Prince.

Sir Apirana Ngata, who was not in native costume, raised a loud laugh by announcing that the Urawera team were the last savages in New Zealand, having been tamed only since 1900. "However," he added later, ''tht leader is the holder of a Diploma of Agriculture won at Lincoln College, showing ho has succeeded." The Duke accepted from MitnTaupopoki an old-time Maori adze.

CHRISTMAS TRADE IN DUNEDIN

RETAILERS PLEASED (rriESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, December 23. ''The best Christmas since the start of the depression," is the general verdict of the* business community. The improvement which started 12 months ago with the first good wool sale lias continued, despite the fall in certain classes of primary produce, and large retailers arc of the opinion I hat there is a more confident tone in evidence at the close of 1934 than for several, years.