Guying a Premier.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 36, 10 August 1895, Page 4

Guying a Premier.

The full story of the Premier's tour through the native country and the fun poked at him by the " noblo savage" has not even yet' been lold, and it is certainly not to bo found in the carefully " bowdlorised " official reports. At Ruatoki, for instance» what was interpreted to the gratified Premier as a most complimentary " song of welcome " was a highly satiric and erotic ditty at his expense, which is now being retailed all over Maoridom. And Maoridom is chuckling hugely at the delicious mannerinwhichthePremierwas"had." But it was not only at the Uriwera that this favourite trick of the Maori practical joker was played on King Richard, and that he was guyed to make a Maori holiday. Even the " offloial " report of the Parihaka proceedings was funny enough, and afforded sufficient evidence of the manner in whioh the Premier was played with and covered with contumely. But, had he beon less wrapped up in his own conceit, and better acquainted with Maori customs, ho might have been saved the final indignities — indignities which have enormously inoreased the waning "mana" of Te Whiti by proving him able to "flout the greatest of the Pakeha," and revived the lost glories of Parihaka. For that which the official report described as a "song of welcome" contained in every line a studied insult to the visitor, who was made to appear as being there to sue for the friendship and protection of Te Whiti, and to condone and justify the "war " whioh Te Whiti had been currying on against the Government which the visitor represented — not forgetting also the visit of the Minister for Labour, which was similarly described. We have been at some pains to get the original of this song, which was sung by Te Whetu as recitative, the body of natives taking up and repeating each line after him incboruß, and following up with a mighty "Ac!" of affirmation and the -" poi play. Here is the song as it was sung by Te Whetu and his followers — for the information of the Premier and others we have added a translation, as well as the meaning which the natives themselves attached to the allusions :—: — "te whiti hei hei poi. 1. Waitara te pou o te pakanga nera ? Waitara the standard-post of war (or riot), was it not so ? (This ia a reference to the origin of th Taranaki war, which waa caused by land dealings at Waitara.) Note. — Each stanza is repeated with the affirmative Ac (Tes). 2. Te parau he pakanga nera ? The ploughing was war, was it not so ? (Referring to the first ploughing up of Europeans' land at Oakura.) 3. Taiepa he pakanga nera ? The fencing was war, was it not so ? (Referring to the f enoing across the Queen's highway at Pungarehu.) 4. Pab.ua he pakanga uera ? The seizure (or plunder) was war, was it not bo? (This alludes to the seizure of the Maori firearms &c, by the Taranaki Mounted Rifles after Mr*. 'Bryce had entered Parihaka.) 6. Aukati he pakanga nera ? The stoppage of the way was war, was it not so P (Referring to Mr. Bryce'a action to prevent outside natives from entering Parihaka after its occupation by the colonial forces.) 6. Whangangahe pakanga nera ? The pilgrimages were war, was it not so ? (Alluding to the pilgrimages through the district " encompassing the wall of Jericho " by order of Te Whiti.) 7. Mo Kaka he pakauga nera ? The ploughing was war, was it not so ? (This is understood to refer to the second ploughing of Europeans' land on the Waimate .Plains.) 1 . Piriroho ka tika nera ? It is truo_ the big boy has left his father's house, is it not so i (Alluding to the separation of Toliu from Te WhiU ) 2. Kotorohi kahinga te pakanga nera ? We have discomfited (the Pakeha) in the matter of the bread, was not this war? (Referring to the series of court proceedings by Stitt, of Opunake, to recover amount due to him for bread supplied, and which ended in Te Whiti's adjudication as a bankrupt ) 3. Te kuri kahiuga te pakanga nera? In the matter of the dog tax we have also overthrown them — this was war, w^b it not ? (Referring to the unsuccessful attempts of the Taranaki County Couueil to collect dog tax from the Parihaka natives ) 4. Ko ta ture kahinga te pakanga nera P The law (of bankruptcy) has been defied, was not this also war? (Alluding to the bankruptcy of To Whiti, and the abortive attempts to make him conform to the provisions of the Act.) 5. Katiti te raukura nera ? We wear the feather as our emblem of defiance and distinction p (The followers of Te Whiti hava for some time past worn a white feather in the hair to distinguish them from other Maoris.) 6. ToMiuitahe mariuokatao nera? Literally— TheMiuister (Mr. Reeves) in a dead calm arrived, did he not ? (Meaning—After all our defiant acts the Minister came to visit us in a deferential manner.) 7. Firimia kua taemai nei nera ! " And now we have the Prtmier himself come to do homage to us !