MAORI SPLAY AT THE RACECOURSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11680, 15 June 1901, Page 5

MAORI SPLAY AT THE RACECOURSE.

TOT DATTO.EB AT', i) KAKAfS

]!iAIAi:KAIM./; KXI-nP.JT.IOXS

Leaving the v,aird sigk: ;: j of. Whakavewarewa the party drove, to the. racecourse, v.-bore to-m,.rr*-..--s lurys --Aim,- will ho held, and \viL;u'S.si".l the porn nee of a, few dan a.:. Tbo fluids cro;:t?i for l.ho have be<:o about iidGO Kuropoara present. The Hon. ■;. Carr.'-il was i:i chaise of iho oercfiioui< -. The ii'-:v! d."-! ! w: - a pro poi, d..u .1 by 20 Maori niai'lens. who.-a lute hlou.-es and skirts were ii lily oriiaiiv.'.r.tr.d with f a,tb&r3. Tbftsc di.nibids 'wtr-' of the (i'aova-.T'i), a if ihny piv?. a v-;» ;/r,icef'll 'jerfoiTOi'.noe. The d.i!i(-.:ent; mil" of the br-dv, the Jbonldor---, the tret, and the ica-s wer'a struc'k '.villi t'so pois in jiori'rc'c ihytbin and thnii. and ike iVKivem-pii v.'ere full of £,-niee a-d variety. At tias <-k--r> of the daiK-ii <;•• '.'it-Is locked their Lands behind ibeir bi-a'. and bov.cd tin.-t time-t t.o ti.a 'J!,-.'-a; . little pr-djdo o'.a ''. about 10(1 men and woiurii, ii an ike Neatt.Sninktuva tribe, in tho distrii'l, stepped forward and irave. a, vigorous haia. and wound i;n with three ehfters lor the Duke and bis \rabine. The next da free was another poi by 30 women and three little skirls, who took up their station.", in front of the ebb" dancers. A quaint time, skilfully extracted from a mouth origan by a dusky musieian, accompanied this dance, and as the wome.i waved and twirled iheir jails (little ranpo bails mi the end of a short pine of twistfd llax) in cotintlrsa different figures, the effect was very prrity. After 'a;o.: throneb several of the motions in one long line, they formed lines of four, and then of two, keeping up the dance the '.'.'hole time. Kaeh movement, had a distl:.'fjui:-:!iiiij? name, and when this was called by the woman leading the dancers they ercer-uted the change with wonderful precision. This was followed bv another dance by 13 .-.rirls, el! in while, led' by a comical old lady of rotund l'i<'U.«. whose queer contortions were most laughable.. 'the '■::■*■'. event was undoubtedly the piece de resistance of the wonderful perforfamce, and ii drew forth most mailed expressions of appieeiaa ion. This was a h«dca by the natives, who hail from the East Coast, About 100 mm, all of .-•■!.•'-■:!. pbvsbjue, dre aed in while : bujlets. with blue wishes across the chest. i'nd" black lorn c'olitF. and wearijipr two white to-oa feathers in their .hair, and carrying iokotokos (or s-.ieajs). were ranged in front, of the pavilion in rows, forming physically as line a. body of men as coy Li he desired. The idea .it the dress was to stive expressio.n to their monrniin: for i.l:> hue Queen. (.'rouehii?" down mi the groov.d ihsy suddenly sprang lo their feet, and having their spears before 'hem. '.vent through a baka, which was pronounced ■>•■ pakeha Maoris t.. be superior to anything they bad previously seen. The fire of tl:;>. do-re, flic marvellous precision of both song end artion, wer/ that coiih! never he forgoUa-.i and made the eyes of the pakejas sparkle atrain. As the nn~kv dani-ers one- more fell crouching -..v. (he •■:•.'.••!! time .is an outburst of apidau.se Iron, lb., onlooker-, who eheeved instil/. After a brief interval the bam I again rose to their feci sin■■ii'tiiaeousfy. each man holding the end of id:. ei.ddiour's ta.koU K.rmiv'.f una sp..-• r, as it. e-e;e. the length of ea-b j ink. lb this ~. sition they swayed ■he ! ■■>.: tok.d. i ,-,. and' -,>•.■•.-! <!„, ~". {, many intricate mn-rnieo'-n now holding it straight in front of '~•■:;. and now idjove their beads. During tie- wind.; d.inc.e the lengthy sy«ar was hold like one l:o.ice. Aiaiiher outluitst of applause fobov-ed. Then the band went through a. third dance. This time each man held li's own spear. The eiiect, when they

wwe raised b\di in the air. a? the climax to some v.-ilii p:vssa;;f. accompanied by a weird lon it-drawn cry. w;-.s wonderfully stirrincf. ami ihe enln •'«-;, vas nm*! infectious. '! lie words of tho hak» vere J• i the form of a wi'! ..line to too T'oviil si from beyond ihe sea. and the natives ;<Ko I'-ive expression to their deep jrriet at the death of tin* late Queer*, of whom tlieychanted in s .'tt praise. Thy dancers Here lc-1 bv A. .I'. X'/Kfa. and ysno-irr tb.f dr-t-cevs were :he (slehnited Tutu Xihonibo tw'jo, it will be remembered, nre-rutrd a historical •n-wtone mrro in Lord IJnberUi and V,i IV re. .1 woll-Jamwii ;<i.<i ii.:'i!e;itiu.l chief, of iLh N ;;i a;,uu-00. Iliis !:rui:i! dViice wrs followed by another oi'i'form.'.J by the Xv-iiieKUl;.;i men, led bv 'L\iip;;rc ;md >\'ii:ih bo c-i.ch wore rare and toy,!v Mat,:. Thru- >v.-.- a mimi;cr than tL;:r •■.«;,■:, cm;;,. : d tin- pro. -!- Maori stvle.".i:ik7d to '.he w;iisi. and wearin a pilipill. whit idioucit '•' ; ■!.■.>' ath'eii< bodies ami i:ri!;.- to \.,: v'<-' ion. The sph'n- • ■•:] physique of the (.'ir.rcrs evoked many ev, ] iliv.itions < i iidiiiir.it:oi .<■ m 'he \■'<-. : t>>l -. his'l-cud of s],.ar,< like iheir |oedp o 1 hhus iV ■ :";■ '•:."•••■ V.-i s :">-' V! o-: "c ■ I !,:< ;'''.■•■ v r. ... '. "*"j !?■■ ■-/,,,'.'' tho a::d ihs mc\ '■■r.v.'ics were i'!i(i'v'■: I.: to :; do-res. "■'••' • '"■ ■•.!■. lit o'J j'entiCiu.iii >::u:.«fd imih eiiic; merit be i;io Judo -.d:h whrnb L« v.-i-ni ii. )'U:'i tho dance and bi*.:sc'-: hn« ft; es.id i'ki-ne.:s of the c !'■ is.y and fro-. "nllv for.s(.ru"t;--.] Oiri'.vej which adorn the I'roi'i "t M •-•: i whai-'fts. At 100 cmcbisioc tl-is tribe and >L- X;rr.i.iporoiw jc-ircJ in a hak>,, v.'lhh made, the ■ -round sh , .'-:e.ii:. , ;.s they stumped and leapt, ia the air.

i Th" P.nva.J visii«»rs «>■•- visihlr much im- ! ,-(.«•,-.J "itii tb-«? vvji. il» p.erfonnnnce, wfeidi ! iiii'.-t, liavt; t»'■ >! jiovi-i ,i. the extnsmo for \ tiudr ni.ai c«stoiji.>J .-v!-; nii.i pars. | ,\f :•!•• »-''<ntfst, .{ '!>.' t.'-.ke, 'dr. Carroll j informed ti.e r:-:l>-< siii jii;'. Koyai ffitrhi •--•; .v '.■> hi •::- A 1: -•, :. :i vi I hat the rxj Joi,::"U hr.,l f.ii .•;. • 'd .i.;t exjr>«tr»titin.i ; i:.? iwios gii.'.i.e'; .vi-|i \)\e.. mi re at this :ir.' i)ii!,"c.iicirf, OJu<i j.. it ijiM-nd h:ia-ie they ad. with Mr. Ctiv!! as Ic'td'T. »«vo toi-gtia ' to tl'.f Avaivry, " r. . mats, k.i in.i*"."