HENLEY REGATTA,

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 50, 28 August 1911, Page 8

HENLEY REGATTA,

DISPLAY BY THE MAORI. [fIIOM OTO &WK COBRESPONBENT.] LONDON, 14th July. The most successful and brilliant Henley that has been, seen for a decade ended on Saturday when the cosmopolitan crowd that lined the banks of the Thames was treated to a picturesque and amusing diversion, for which the Arawa tribe of Maori, now at the White City, was responsible. Conducted by Maggie Papakura, they paddled down the course in a war canoe, and aroused great interest. Describing the incident, the Standard saye ; "They made a splendid picture of barbarism as they paddled along, their brown skins shining like satin and their golden paddles flashing in the sun. Every few seconds they raised their paddles aloft to shake them furiously, and shout a weird war «ry, led by a young Maori standing up ifl the middls of the boat, whose energy and fierce gestures were extraordinary. The boat was decorated with all kinds of bizarre war ornaments, and majestic in the stern sat the old chief, witfi a' quaint head* drees and a coat which seemed to be made of feathers. The women, who wore head-dtesses of scarlet, were as energetic in their shouting as the men, and opposite the judge's box the tribe landed •and gave a waj> dance on the landing stage. They looked Magnificent in their sa.Va.ge dresses, the man all of ,the finest physique, and it was eomethang of a, disillusion afterwards to see, them in ordinary dree?, talking English." The Daily Mail thought it a merry, though' grotesque, interlude, and it comments : "The old chief was he&vily clothed in brown. beast-skhiß, ■which came over his head, and made him look like a Teddy bear after much ill-treat-ment in the nursery ; but the younger taen were .bare to the waist, except for a 'Btrip of leopard's skill across their chests. Their brown bodies and power* fnl arms gleamed in the sun, and there has been no such barbaric-looking crew on father Thames since the early Britons paddled the stream in. their basketboats. The women were bare-armed, also, bat Were clothed in light robes' of scarlet silk, with flowers and feathers in their hair. They have beautiful, joyous, laughing faces, and most charming among them" was the lady, Maggie, who speaks English with music in ncr voice. The^prow of the long canoe was decorate?! with a curious arrangement of white feathers, and the paddles tvere very ornamental, with bars of gold and red."-