THE YOUNG MAORI PARTY,

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 3, 5 January 1910, Page 7

THE YOUNG MAORI PARTY.

The Young Maori Party was entertained at the residence of the Hon. Gr. Fowlds, Auckland, on Tuesday afternoon. Dr Buck, M.P. (Te Rangij ?a^' secretary, commenced an address with an incantation in the soffc-tongued language of the Maori, as follows:—

Piki mai; heke mai Homai te waiora kia au Te tv tehua aria Te moe ate; kina ite po He ao! he ao! He awatea!

Which,, translated into English, means:

Come hither, draw nigh. Bring unto me the living waters of life.

Ah! Weary has been the rest of the aged at night. But now it is dawn! It is dawn ! It is light!

The incantation, explained Dr Buck, was used by the Maoris in expressing Joy, and on such an occasion as this it could be well used. (the Young Maori Party which they were repraaenting, was endeavouring it> help the Maoris to reach the highest and best positions in life. It had io be remembered that to compare the natives of this country with themselves they would have to go back to the Stone Age. The Maoris of two generations back were on about the same level as their European brethren were 2000 or 3000 years ago. They were happy enough before the white man "game, but since the advent of the European the natives of New Zealand had had to assimilate* in the course of two generations, what the pakehas had taken 3000 years to come through. The Young Maori Party had had much to do, and if they could see some glimmering of success ahead they must be satisfied.