MUSICIAN AND MAORI MAID

Evening Star, Issue 17700, 29 June 1921, Page 3

MUSICIAN AND MAORI MAID

THE MARIUAGE OF WALLACE. Discussing; Wa-llaeo, the composer of ‘ Maritaiia,’ last week at the Sydney Ci i • servatorium Hall, Mr Vanbrugghcn told his audience the story which he had read in a. book written in French by Hector Berlioz, who was a close friend of u ailacc. The two composers met very often in London, and later in Pans. Wallace told Berlioz of his experiences in iiic Southern Hemisphere. While he. was in Sydney he met. the captain of an English war vessel, who told him he was about to _go to New Zealand on a, punitive expedition against the Maoris. Ho invited Wallace to go with him, and he consented, being of a roving and adventurous nature. Berlioz described the “ terrib’o slaughter” of the New Zealand natives, the captain having used a stratagem to mane Ids ship look' as if it had been disabled. 'When the .Maoris came in their canoes and surrounded the ship, the captain ordered the guns to bo fired, and lulled nearly every one of the warriors. They captured two chiefs who were struggling in tho water. Alter this incident the captain was obliged to go to 'Tasmania, instead of returning to New South Wales; but (he surgeon of the ship wished to remain to study tho flora of New Zealand, and Wallace offered to accompany him. The captain entrusted his two friends to the euro of tho two chicts, and made them understand that they would have to s respon-_ sible for their safety Tire doctor and Wallace well treated on shore, find Wallace became enamored of the. daughter of one of the chiefs. While tho doctor sought flowers tho musician wooed the Maori maid, and afterwards married her. There was a fearful separation scene when the war vessel returned and claimed the doctor and Wallace. The_ story was extremely romantic, and it showed that Wallace was more closely reflated to New Zealand than to Australia. (Laughter.]