THE KARITANE FETE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2392, 4 January 1900, Page 21

THE KARITANE FETE.

The fete and Native exhibition held on the Karitane Peninsula, near Puketeraki, for the purpose of raising funds to be employed in the improvement of the Karitane Domain reserve, was opened on Tuesday, and proved remarkably successful, especially in regard to the patronage it atti acted. It was anticipated that 2000, or at most 3000, persons would attend, but instead of that number, nearly 7000 people must have been on the grounds. The first train — a heavy one— leEt Dunedin in an overcrowded condition shortly before 8 I o'clock,, but very many people who wanted to go by this train were unable to get foothold on it, and waited for the next. At a quarter to 11 the second train, consisting of two engines and 12 large carriages and covered trucks, started in a similar condition, many intending passengers being left behind at Dunedin, and none of the crowd at the upper station at Port Chalmers being able to get on board it. After this several trains left for the north, all fully loaded, and people continued to arrive at Pukeleraki until 3 o'clock, at which hour a goodly number of ■those present were making preparations for the return journey, which had to be made under similar conditions of discomfort. The heavier trains had to be taken through the -long tunnel on the northern trip in sections, progress was often painfully slow, and discomfort is a very mild word to describe the experience of the people in the crowded carriages and trucks as they were dragged through the long tunnels. No doubt the best that was possible was done under the circumstances; but the rolling stock- at command was not equal to the unexpected strain -that was put upon it. The train journey of 26 miles occupied rather more than two hours and a-half ; that must be admittedly rather slow progress, and as fully half the passengers had to stand the whole of the time, the trip was not a pleasant one.

(Jpon arrival at Puketeraki there was a good mile and a-half to walk over rough country, with several barbed wire fences to negotiate on the direct line of route. The spot on which the fete was held is charmingly picturesque, and strong sympathy must be felt with the public-spirited gentlemen who are interesting themselves in its preservation and improvement. '"Karitane" is the Maori name of ihe district. "Puketeraki" properly belonging only to the hill, and, curiously enough, the offipial designation of tho township here is Waikouaiti, and where Waikouaiti is spoken of in the early history 6f the colony it is this placo — not the railway station township — that is referred to. Karitane is a place of historical interest in the history of the Maori people on account of its having been the site of the pa of a renowned warrior, Te Wera, long before the advent of Captain" Cook. It wasj therefore, especially to be desired that a place so beautiful, a spot rich with historic associations, and not without interest in the annals of our colonisation of this portion of New Zealand, should be cared for as a place of public resort. Accordingly, some nine months since a society called the Karitane District Improvement Society, of which Mr Tamata Parala is president and Dr Truby King vice-president, was formed for the purpose of beautifying the district by planting the roadsides and waste places and taking steps to prevent the encroachment of the sea, which year by year has been washing more and more from the isthnnis which connects the peninsula with the mainland. When the township was laid out in the early sixties it was assumed that Waikouaiti would become an important port, and a recreation reserve of 165- acres was set aside on the peninsula, and an equal quantity of adjoining land was made a marine reserve. Both reserves have, at the request of the Eociety mentioned, been vested in the Karitane Domain Board, and tho fete opened on Tuesday is for the purpose of providing additional fund*, only a small grant having been obtained from Parliament.

lt was deemed wise that the occasion should be made to revive the traditions and customs of the Maori race, and, so far as circumstances permitted, this has been done, though the remarkable amount of patronage bestowed kept the officials busy, and the crowds were so great, and the difficulty, arising principally from this fact, of getting to the fete -and returning from it, or of securing food, was such that by no moans all there was to see was seen ; but the exhibitions made were both creditable and interesting. There was no timed programme of events, and it was somewhat difficult to find out what was going on, while up to the time of the return little was known as to the result of competitions. A large number of tents had been erected on the site of Te Wera's pa, the remains of which could be traced in places, though they would be recognised only by those acquainted with Maori fortifications. Two of the tents were used as refreshment booths, and in the largest, marquee there was an exhibition of art unio'i pictures and Maori curio?, of much intere&t and of by no means trifling intrinsic value. On the arrival of the -first train the Maoris gave tho visitors a welcome by dancing a haka, and afterwards the poe dance Mas performed. The Maoris assembled sang in Maori " God save the Queen," and afterwards, at the request of Dr King, all present joined in singing the National Anthem, and this was clone so as to be a genuine demonstration of loyalty, being followed by enthusiastic cheering.

Mr Parata, M.H.R. (the president of the society) welcomed the visitors, explained the object of the fete, and mentioned that he had received an apology from the Hon. J. M'Kenzie, who was prevented by urgent business from being present. He (Mr Parata) told the visitors that they now stood upon ground that had been fortified and held by tha great warrior Te We'ra, who, upon this place, had protected his peoplo from another great warrior named Taonga. Te Wera's pa could not be taken, and the people could not be'starved out, for they bad stored up provisions for three years ; but they suffered for want of water, a3 all they could get was from one small spring. Failing to carry the pa by storm, Taonga tried strategy, apparently withdrawing his forces, but he only succeeded in capturing two Maoris. This had occurred, so far as he could tell, about 150 years ago — some time before Captain Cook's visit. Mr 'Parata then addressed the Maori visitors in their own language, welcoming them, and thanking them for their assistance. Some food was cooked Maori fashion in a umn, and exhibitions were given of kitmaking and the preparation of fishing tackle. The various hakas which were given during the day were all danced wilTh great spirit and vigour, and the poe dances were also much applauded. In fire-raising, the competition was so close that two first prizes were given. The time taken in . producing the fire was about 20 minutes. Two things unfortunately marred the otherwise signal success of the fete. The first and principal was the utter inadequacy of the train arrangements, most of the passengers being quite weary from the delay which they had been subjected to, and feeling keenly the Jpss of th<* jjrincrjpal and more fe-

poriant items of the programme. A considerable number of visitors arrived so late at the Puketeraki station thai they were too disheartened to walk to the peninsula, and a Isrge number of people who wished to spend the clay at the fete never got to Puketeraki at all, but stayed at places along the line. This has been in every way most unfortunate, as the engagements of many of these people will no doubt prevent their seeing a sight which is as unique as it is interesting. The other feature which was unfortunate was, that proper provision was not made to keep the press of people from crowding in, and hampering the action of the Maoris. The effect of this was certainly minimised so far as the onlookers were concerned by the peculiarly fortunate disposition of the ground forming amphitneatres from the vantage of which everyone could see well. The fete was continued on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday morning but few of the tents that marked the spot where the Karitane fete was being held on the Peninsula, at Puketeraki, were left standing. The wind got up about 5 o'clock in the morning, and blew with hurricane force for a time, completely demolishing the tent in which the Maori curios were, and in which the art gallery had a place. Several other tents were also blown down, and the men in charge had anything but a pleasant time of it rescuing the exhibits. • A second sample of such weather was experienced during the day, but it was of very brief duration, and did no harm. In the tent containing the Maori curios were a varied assortment of implements of war, such as meres, etc., carved huia boxes containing Maori jewellery, the carved prow of a canoe, a number of taiahas (long spears), Ivlaori sandals for walking on sand or rough ground (these being made of the native flax), fishhooks of ingenious construction, and greenstone ornaments in great profusion. What was probably most interesting of all was a collection of old pictures of Maori incidents clone by Mr Merrett between 50 and 60 years ago. There were also a number of portraits of some of the old Maori warriors and their wives. All these things were arranged in the centre of the tent, while round the walls were a number of beautiful engravings and mezzo-tints by French and English artists. These formed the picture gallery, and were lent for the occasion by Dr Truby King, the remainder of the articles being contributed by Dr Hocken, Mr Tamata Parata, and Mr F. R. Chapman, the latter of whom, in conjunction with Mr Thomas Smith, took in hand the arraying of the exhibits. One of the chief features of the fete on both days was a practical illustration of the use of the umu, or Maori oven, a short description of which may not be uninteresting. A hollow is made in the ground in a convenient spot, the size,- of course, being in accordance with the animal, or portion of animal, to be roasted. In and around this hollow are placed stones, preferably those water-worn, and upon them is built the fire, which is kept burning for about three hours. At the end of that time the stones, being considered hot enough, the firing is taken out, and .a number of the stones about the centre removed to the outer circle of the hollow. Upon the hot stones which still remain .in the centre 'are placed a number of flax mats and also Maori cabbage, a vegetable resembling the top of the Swede turnip. The meat is then deposited in the oven, and layers of the cabbage and mats put on top. Last, comes the stones which have been placed along the outer edge of the oven and still retain a great degree of heat, and these are covered with earth to a depth of about 9in. At this stage there is no evidence of any cooking operations going on, there being an entire absence of smoke, steam, or smell. It will be gathered from the description of the oven that the meat undergoes a process partly of roasting and partly of &teaxning, the presence of the green Maori cabbage with heat above and below it necessarily generating steam, which is confined immediately above the meat. How long the meat shall remain in is naturally controlled by what meat is to be cooked. For a whole bullock it is about five hours, for a bullock in quarters about three hours, for a pig about two hours, and for a sheep about 35 minutes. On Boxing Day the edibles chosen for cooking before the assembled multitude were a bullock (in quarters), two lambs, a pig, and about 4cwt of potatoes, and Maori cabbage. As these came out of the oven the top layer of stones having been removed, hearty applause was given for the cooks, who deposited the steaming viands on a huge flax mat prepared for their reception. The meat was here cut yip, and, with the vegetables, placed m small flax baskets, which had been manufactured by the women while the cooking was going on, and handed round at the price of one shilling per basket. The meat, for most part, presented a tempting and juicy appearance, and those who partook of it pronounced it to be- exceedingly palatable. The cooking operations of yesterday were not carried on on_ such an extensive scale, probably on account of there being much fewer consumers present, but those who did attend the fete watched the proceadings open-eyed and expectant, and everyone was on tiptoe when the words "Haere^mai kai te " — the signal to open the oven — were uttered. It may be mentioned that the productions of the "cooks foand ready sale on Boxing Day, and many a flax basket was carried away as a memento of the occasion.

Fire-raising, as practised by the Maoris, was another interesting feature of the fete. The plan is a simple one, and may almost be guessed. Some dry tussock (koka) is placed upon the ground just in front of a small flat piece of wood (hika), and friction is applied to the wood by means of another small round piece of sharply-pointed wood (kohikomoko). In about 20 minutes the desired effect is gained, and the dried tussock grass ignited. Two competitions, in which several Europeans also took part, were held on Boxing Day, and the winners were Wiremu Reah. (Moeraki) and Hamahona Tiro (a local resident). Native dancing formed the substantial part of Wednesday afternoon's programme, though one dance, the tururuhaupo, was given in the morning by a party of 15 wahines. Subsequently the puuha, a species of haka, was danced by 10 men, another haka by 13 women, and the poe, also by a party of women. The latter appears to take its name from the continuous use by the dancers of an egg-shaped object made from a kind of dried bulrush, and called the poe. This is suspended by a siring, which is held by the dancers, and a kind of chant is kept up while the poe is beaten against various parts _of the body. Wonderfully correct time is kept — in fact, this remark' applies equally to all the Maori dances. The women all wore the haka mat (kinikini), but in most respects their costume was like the men's. Among the women was a Mrs Chicken and a Mrs Sam, both well advanced in years, and these two seemed quite carried away with excitement, 011 more than one occasion taking the enclosure by;

themselves, and indulging in a dance on their own account. The rolling of the eyes on such occasions was something to remember, but immediately they ceased dancing the expression of face was replaced by one of gratified delight at the applause of the pakeha, which vi a^ certainly not stinted. Probably the greatest drawback to the entire success of the men's dancing was the lack of .numbers. The dozen or so who did enter the enclosure threw all their energy into the business, and the distortion of face and contortion of body was something wonderful to behold. All the time this went on a perpetual chant was kept going, but the result of close intercourse with the white man was made plainly apparent on at least one occasion, when one of the chanters drew his breath and ejaculated. " Let her go. Gallagher," which, of courte, raised a hearty laugh from the bystander?. A party of men and another of women gave an imitation of a Maori war canoe, which consisted in them squatting in two rows, as in a canoe, and going through the motions of paddling. Each canoe had a steersman, and as the Mrs Sam, before mentioned, acted in that capacity for the women, the way she encouraged her crew to further and still further exertion may be easily imagined. The leg of a Maori boy, who was laid prone on his back, did duty as a steer oar for the men, and proved altogether too strong for the steersman — a Maori of gigantic stature, — whom the boy pulled to the ground, amid' roars of laughter. A Maypole dance was very prettily performed by 24- of the children attending the Native School, under the direction of Mr Blathwayt, and two of the number also gave a haka by themselves.

The singing of " God save .the Queen " by the children, first in Moari and then in English, concluded Wednesday's proceedings, and three cheers having been given for her Majesty, the spectators made the best of their way to the railway station.

It is very evident that a great deal of trouble, has been gone to in getting iip the fete, from what can be gathered, Dr Truby King, Mr Tamata Parata, Mr Fred Buckley, and Mr H. A. W. Blathwayt are largely responsible for .carrying the thing through.

About £400 had been realised up to Wednesday.

The Karitane Fete was brought to a close on Thursday evening, and the promoters may congratulate themselves upon having attained the main object sought — the raising of funds to improve, beautify, and make secure from the inroads of the sea, the peninsula on which the fete was held. In some respects the exhibition of Maori habit given yesterday was an improvement of those of the previous two days. Some of the ha-kas, for instance, were given with a great increase of vehemence, probably because the dancers, coming from different districts, had not, at the outset, got thoroughly into a united swing. One haka given was unusually effective, the men having been prevailed upon to appear in a, very much nearer approach to the true Native costume, and the result was a striking improvement. Among the dances given by the women was the poi poi, which really partakes more of tho character of a song than a dance, and has decidedly more melody in it than most of the Maori chants — at least, to the English ear, — being timeful and pretty. -The Maori style of cooking was again shown, and the food produced freely partaken of by those present. In connection with the haka by the men, before referred to, there was a competition for the best-dressed dancer, and this was adjudged by Mr F. R. Chapman to be Wiremu Rehu, W. Weka coming second, and Davis Mantell third. Mr Chapman awarded the palm for the best Native dressed woman to Maki Taiaroa, with Mahaka Mamaru second, and Katarina Te Whao third. An exhibition of -basket, bag, and sandal making out of the native flax was given by the older Maori women proved very interesting. The women showed wonderful dexterity in plaiting the flax, and speedily converting the plaited material into the articles named. The result of a competition was that for basketmaking (ria tikini) Repeka Maaika was placed first, Peti Mahana. second, and Rotu Roiti third. For flax-dressing (tika uhtau), Reti TVeka's work was pronounced_ to be the best, and for Maori dancing the prize was given to Mrs ICoruarua. Among the ladies who presided over the stalls while the fete lasted were Mrs F. R. Chapman, Mrs King, Mrs Taiaroa, Mrs Parata, Mrs Munro, Mrs J. Richardson, and Mrs G. Wilson, these being assisted by a number of other ladies, pakeha and Maori. Others who helped materially, either by the loan of things or work, were Mr Win. Guild, Mr Geo. Taiaroa, Mrs Koruarua, Wiremu Rehu, and Heni Pokuku. The Misses Parata (2), Miss Beswick, and Mr Geo. Farrant also gave valuable assistance. Quite a successful impromptu concert was got up by Messrs T. G. Kay, W. Harper, and V. King on the opening evening, at which there was a very large attendance, and a no less successful dance was- held on the night following in Huiropa Runanga (hall). The Citizens' Band were present at the fete during the three days it lasted, and contributed much to the enjoyment of the festivities.

We have been .requested to state, in reply to a letter appearing in yesterday morning's Times, that there was fully £40 worth of Maori curios for sale, and that, on the first day, the attendance was fo much larger than was ever anticipated that the exhibition was hampered somewhat.