Historic Canoes Arrive at Pa

Northern Advocate, 30 December 1938, Page 6

Historic Canoes Arrive at Pa

fPer P? ess Association. Copyright .] NGARUAWAHIA, This Day.

Greeted as though they had been chiefs of high rank, three more canoes of the fleet of seven which Te Pnea Herangi is having built for the Centennial arrived at the Pa. Ngaruawahia. Though they were of wood, and though they arrived by trailer and lorry from the great totara bush near Taupo, they were personified when they arrived at the gates of the Pa. They became one with the craft of the great migration. They were of ; equal rank with the canoes of revered I memory—of Tainui, which lies at rest at Kawhia, of Awara and the others of the original seven. Traditional Canoes, They have passed into tradition and legend. Those which will ride the waters of the Waitemata during the great year of the Centennial will serve to bring Maori greatness once again before the eyes of the yohng New Zealand nation. They will also be one of the great sights of those cel- ; ebrations, because while the Pakeha 'can and will build again great works for the celebrations of hundreds of I years yet to come, it is not likely that ’ the Maoris will again build another fleet. i The arrival of the two canoes yes- ; terday makes three that are now at ' the Pa. One more is to come from Tau- | po. i The canoes were made each in three I sections. No work can be begun on i them until the canoe party is back 1 from Ihe bush near Taupo, in which j the canoes wore hewn. The party will ' return when the last canoe is taken from Ihe bush. That will probably be I (he next week or so when the tracks j have been cut in Ihe bush to permit their haulage by bush tractor to the U’oad,