MAORILAND IN SYDNEY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 721, 21 January 1910, Page 3

MAORILAND IN SYDNEY.

Maggie Papakura and : her friends/ ,who. are now- located for a time at Middle Ear' 1 hour,' Sydney;; seem; to be -.creating a great 'deal 'of .' 'interest among- .the oity's f in-; habitants;' The' two Maori-carved canoes,, 'inlaid : with'_ pearlshell, graceful: and pic- : turesqiih vessels,/propelled by , many dusky ■meri;OT; by,brown-skinned maidens garbed, 'ixi / crimson.; with /red'. silk' scarves ' twined; rtiund'j-.their merryfaces, . form'a,;: fine sight in- the- harbour waters some of these; mornings. .'- One of; the . men stands, up in tho. middle of. each boat, and with, lithe arm and body' movements ; acts as "cox" and tutor to .the paddling...occur' pants of the long canoes shooting through .the:' waters;- At /piontarf/.-Maggie/and Bella, the / famous® /well-educated i /Maori -lead the>singing- and 'dancing; respectively/of. the:many Maori 'maidens of, the'village, peopled by 70 full-blooded New Zealand Maoris;../ Dances/'.with • the "poi," the *' enchanted;[ balls'..'of flax,"are-',' given> every: afternoon: and evoning by-the girls, 'and;. blood-curdling' "hakas," /with warcries :'as/.a thrilling-'- accompaniment, -/are given by tho-men.- Their, ' whares," neat carved dwellings,'' set/up at this charming, harbour;/spot,. electrically, lit/are. visited daily/by'..crowds of interested-spectators, who are only, too pleaded to ; ,be greeted' with -the -solf - Maofi ;."Tenakoe." ~/::.

Now why should Sydney havo such an attraction: /and:. Wellington / none. Why should not' the Government/ establish a Maori pah-near Wellington, and make it most beatitiful'according .to Maori/ideas, for/the interest-and' edification ofour own' people, 'many.' of Vwhom know.'much less ; about- the ideal' Maori- village than tho ■ Sydney , writer./ What an attraction it would be for: the/tourist, 1 and hoV: convenient for - thoso- of us who feel: that when 'friends' come to Wellington eager to see .typical - New;- Zealand life, they'find this too-much: civilised/town flat—for- all it's hills.. ■ - r. •• - ■