Tongau Queen As Guest of Te Puea

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 237, 7 October 1936, Page 15

Tongau Queen As Guest of Te Puea

Tliero was more than a touch of the dramatic in the meeting which took place on Saturday morning at Ngaruawahia between tho Queen of Tonga, Queen Salote Tubou, Who is visiting New Zealand, and Princess To Puea Herangi, who has been called the “uncrowned queen" of the Maori people. Queen Salote, who was accompanied by her Consort, Prince Tugi, and her suite, broke her journey to Rotorua at Ngaruawahia for a few hours, in order that sho might see Te Puea aud tho work which sho has achieved at Ngaruawwhia pa —once the residence of her grandfather, King Tawhiao. Queen Salote was accompanied by Mrs W. A. Boucher, wife of tike agent for Tonga in New Zealand, and Miss Boucher. The preliminary arrangements for tho visit were made by Mrs 11, M, Colwill, of Te Akarana Women’s Association, who has known Queen Salote for many years, and who is closely related to both the Princess Te Puea and her husband. Mrs Colwill was also a visitor to Ngaruawahia, accompanied by her daughter, Mrs Leo Kronfeld, Mrs T. Kronfcld, and Mrs Hirst.

Princess Te Puea Lad arranged a ■wonderful reception for Queen Salote. A traditional Maori powLiri was performed, with liakas, on arrival at the pa, and poi dances and songs were given by their best performers. At luncheon, wihich was served in the carved house, “ Mahinarangi, ’ ’ Princess To Puea, who is a delightful and thoughtful hostess, had arranged an original meal. This included wlhitebait from the Waikato river, specially selected for its delicacy and size by six of her Maori helpers, who had spent hours in its preparation, and a salad of Island fruits, including pineapple. Later these two outstanding women, who between them play an important part in swaying khe destinies of their people, conversed in the meeting house, and Queen Salote inspected the pa and its picturesque cottages- with their outer walls of punga stems. To Puea has several schemes of improvement planned for the settlement diieh will bo carried out When means permit.

Queen Salote and Princess. Te. Puea possess in common certain instinctive traits; they both have an unshakeable idealism for the destiny of their peoples, a natural unaffected dignity, an unselfish efficiency which always puts the welfare of others before their own comfort, and a keen sense of humour to balance their seriousness of purpose. Before the Tongan party left for Rotorua in the late afternoon, Queen Salote extended to Princess Te Puea a cordial invitation to visit Tonga in the near future. It is to be hoped that To Puea will be able to accept this, for her health, though better than during the winter, is still far from good, and apart from the interest of seeing Tonga the sea voyage would probably greatly benefit her.