FROM PA TO PALACE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 23 June 1911, Page 5

FROM PA TO PALACE.

MAORI TROUPE IX LONDON. A DEATH AT SEA. LONDON, May :Ith. The voyage of the Maori troupe to Ei gland to. take part in the Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace was, saddened by the death shortly before reaching Colombo, of a 3'outh, Aporo. sou of Sophia. An Lour or two before reaching tlie Cevlou port the vessel was slowed down, and the human remains of the New Zealand native were buried at sea. Otherwise the natives, both men and women, have had a prosperous trip, and they ar" now billeted in the vieii.ity of the Palae,e_ awaiting the preparation of the huts in the Palace grounds in which they will reside during their stay in England. They will have little time beyond the present week for enjoying the novelties of London, for they have much to do to get their quarters ready, and to pre. pare themselves for the parts- they will take in the great pageant. Maggie Papakura has. needless to say, been the object of most interest in the group for it is through her instrumentality that a host of English newspaper reporters have been enabled to communicate with the natives and to drag from them volumes of stories, legends, and personal and present day observations on what thoy see and hear. One of them, Wiari, is not now to England, for he was a member of the Maori contin. front at the last 'Coronation. Another. Mil a Taupopoki. himself grizzled wiih age. feei s that lie has reached the end. At least, for him, this home of kings is the end 0 f all things, and he wishes to travel no more! The Maoris were met at St. Pan eras station by Mr T. E. Donne. Mr C. '£>. Wcstmacott (who is to lie their manager here), and Mr William Short (the King's Trumpeter), who saw much of them while he was in New Zealand, and is anxious to what he can for them in return for kindnesses lie received there.