Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7197, 24 June 1885, Page 4

npHB MAORI KIS& ON HIS JL TRAVELS. AN BABL TO ENTERTAIN HIM. HIGH JINKS FOR HIS MAJESTY,, It is aome years ago since King Tawh'.ao firat expressed a desire to pay England a Tint for the purpose of holding a diplomatic conversation" with the Queen on subjeota of mutual interest ; and at last he has got his wish. To anyone who knows the Maori character there is something raonatrously funny about the proceeding. Tawhiao, it should be known, is a most dignified potentate. This is a serious basinoss with him. He Btill olaims the title of king, howbeifc his followers are an insignificant band when all told ; and he will, no doubt, meet Her Majeßty Queen Victoria, of Great Britain and Ireland, Kmptvss of India, as becomes one oxaltcd peraonage on meeting another "in tho same situation of life." HIS DEPASTURE. The departure from his kingdom, in company with, bis suite of attendants, was it appears slightly marred in effect by a circumstance that gave.him great offence. A mass meeting was' held in the Waikato, about 50 miles out of Auckland ci y, to f&te the king and bid him faivswoll, his copper-colored subjects contributing largely to pay the expenses of liia trip ; and there was a great feast and an imposing ceremony of tho Maori character. It appears froxn a late number of the 2i~. Z. Herald that after all had been arranged (oiive cno important item) and the affecting farewella had been said amid a perfect fljod of teaw— (our Maori friends can cry on the shortest notice) — it was suddenly discovered that there was not a berth left for Tawhiaa on the mail steamer. This was a crusher, and the king sat him down on the royal mat at the entrance to the royal whare, and nursed his wrath. HB MAKES A DISCOVERY. But even afc this pas 3he had a consolation, so the Herald inf. rms us. It soems he was suffering from acute rheumatism at at the time. By the advice of the Messrs Hunter he tried Bt. Jacobs Oil ; and, as he was almost immediately relieved from pain, his good humor was restored, and he waited with resignation for the next steamer. It came in due course, and the Sing " steamed" away for the Mother Country, via Australia. Of his visit to this colony nothing need bs said here, as tho local Pt-oaa pretty well advertised His Majesty's movements while he remained in this city. It may be mentioned, however, that as far as.it could be ascertained since he took THE BLUE RIBBON. Tawhiao continued to be a most faithful follower of total abstinence ; a fact which redoundß to his credit, especially as his countrj'men are extremely partial to spirits, or, as they call it, " waipero," strong water. If you ask a Maoti whether he likeßrum ,?) he will cheerfully respond : " Kapai te waipero! perangi?' and will then prefer a mild request that you should " shout ! ' It is to be hoped that Tawbiao will stick to the good resolution which ftir George Groy induced him to £<>i<m. It may also be mentioned thit the King before leaving Se* Zealand purchased *ever»l bottles of S*t Jacobs Oil. S« creatlv bad it impressed him,

and like Mr Peter Magnus with his hatb.»x, he was more particular in looking after that parcel of oil than all the rest of his luggage, including his pipe, tobacco, and Eld JiIIWSHARI-, which the writer may explain has come to be regarded as the national music of the Maoris. You will ccc girls, boys, and old men and women sitting by the hour together playing this instrument, the tongue of which they cover at the end with a knob of sealing-wax, which, has the effect of imparting softness to the sound produced, and increasing its volume. Ho is not A LINGUIST. As before Btated, King Tawhiao is accompanied by an interpreter, whoße services he could scarcely dispense with, for he knows very little English. There are hundreds of Maoris who speak excellent English. They learn rapidly, and their superiority in mathematics to tho average European scholars in the sohools has become almost proverbial. But Tawhiao has been, until quite lately, most exclusive. He could never be enticed from his seclusion in the close Maori country in the Waikato. He had little or no communication with Europeans, except, perhaps, an occasional pakehaMaori, which means a degraded white man who makes his home with the natives, livisg like them as to habits, and being a kind of serf as to position. Theae men, of course, speak the Maori language only when among the natives. So that Tawhiao had little chance to learn English. TAWHIAO EN ROUTE. He is now on his way to England, and we can easily imagine that he and his attendant knights or chiefs will find them' selves much astonished at a great deal they see on the way. When they arrive they will, doubtless, have a good deal more to astonish them. One thing is tolerably certain, that if they slay long in the country they will bring back very lively notions of the weather. Your northern Maori does not like the cold. THE GUEST OF AN EARL. In tbe meantime we learn by cable that the Maori envoys are to be entertained or be tho guests of the Earl of Ohicester, the President of the London Missionary Society. Ye gods ! but this is indeed distinction for tbe monarch whose sceptre ia the shadow of a shade. It is very questionable, however, if old Tawhiao oould be made to understand that in this reception he is being honored to any great extent. That one^ chief should entertain another is only right and proper. And yet what would some of our money-grubbing democrats who prate of "the glorious privilege of being independent" — what would some of these give to shake the hand of an earl or (G>od forgive us !) steal his pocket-band-kerchief to show their friends m triumph. TAWHIAO AN .1 THE QCTEKN. We beg Her Majesty's pardon for putting the Maori's name first ; but; tho reverse order would not be euphonious. That meeting will, no doubt, be an affecting sight. The " Field of the Cloth of Gold " over ago in, and t c shade of King Harry looking on approvingly. r Xhere is little doubt that the natives of New Zealand have suffered many grievances at the hands of their white brothers. They have been DUPED ABD ROBBED, and cheated, right, left, aud centre. Their ignorance in the early days was t uken advantage of, and many of them said their birthright for loss value thun a •' moss of pottag*;." B-.'.t it. i* questionable ■ whether inu b good will be effected by the present mission. , The Government of Sew Zealand are now doing whao they can to ameliorate the condition of the Maori population, but the task ia by no mpans easy. Their numbers are fast decreasing, chiefly owing to exposure, and the effects following upon it. This, of course, can be remedied to a lurge extent, and may best be done by diaseminating among them a knowledge of the troatjnent necessary to preserve health. Rheumatism has become a common complaint in Maoridom, and a too liberal indulgence in alcohol has done much harm. With this in view it is to be hoped that the natives will follow KING TAWEI-*-O'S EXAMPLE. He was open to conviction on the subject of the drink question, and took the badge of temperance, an example which the writer is happy to learn from a reliable source a number of his subjects in New Zealand have followed. In the same way most probably the important discovery made by their king will become known to the Maoris, as to the valuable cure for a distressing and dangerous complaint, so common among them. There are several MAORI NEWSPAPERS in New Zealand, and these will no doubt be the means of introducing St. Jacob's Oil to their notice, seeing that the enterprising proprietors of thiß valuable remedy take every legitimate opportunity of freely advertising the great specific. THE TELEGRAM. In reference to the benefit which King Tawhiao derived from St. Jacob's Oil, and to which we have referred in the course of this article, the New Zealand Herald of March 29, 1884, publishes the following telegram from its own correspondent: — "Mercer,. Friday.— Tawhiao appears to ! have been suffering from rheumatism lately, j and is quite pleased at the effect produced I by St. Jacob's OH, administered to him by I the Messrs Hunter. To-day he is much |b«ttto.» 799