REWARDING BRAVERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7436, 15 December 1885, Page 2

REWARDING BRAVERY.

(Feb United Pbess Association.) New Plysioitth, December 14. The ceremony of presenting TeWetere and * two other Natives with tho medals awarded by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia took place at Waitara Town Hall on Saturday afternoon. The Hon. Mr Ballance made the presentation. The medals were awarded to Te Wetere for having in March last saved Mr T. Perliam and Mr Hursthouse, surveyors, from drowning on the Mokau bar. Colonel Trimble, M.H.R. for Taranaki, presided. There was a large gathering of both Europeans aud Natives. and great interest was manifested in the proceedings. Mrs Paul, wife' of the mayor of New Plymouth, pinned tho medal on To Wetere's breast, and presented him with the certificate. The other two Natives wero not present, and the medals will bo presented to them at a meeting of their tribe.— Te Wetere, in acknowledgment of tho medals, : said:" Salutations to you. All we thought was '. to save life—(cheers)— as we saw them (the surveyors) in the water in a perilous position. '■ Those who could swim did so, and were able to save themselves; hut thoso who could not swim I thought to save them. I feel very thankful to those who. sent theso medals as a token for the thing that we did, but so far as we ourselves are concerned we did not expect anything. All that has been presented to-day we never-thought of at nil. All we thought of the surveyors was to save them."—Three cheers wero given, for the Mayoress and To Wetere.