VISIT TO ROTORUA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 30

VISIT TO ROTORUA.

WELCOME BY THE MAORIS. AN INSPIRING SCENE. (Fbosi Oue Special CoßßEsroxDrcjT.) AUCKLAND, August 13. Brilliant weather prevailed to-day, and the fleet celebrations proceed with the gaiety and success with which they were initiated. Indeed, " fleet week "so far has been a triumphant success. The city is still very crowded. As the ships light up at 6 o'clock, the beautiful harbour is transformed into a veritable fairyland. Last evening we had a unique and delightful experience in ■dining on board one of the big battleships with the lieutenant commander who ' ' runs ' ' the ship. The journey across the water in one of the Minnesotas fine steam launches was one never to be forgotten. The harbour was calm, and the shore illuminations and the great battleships, outlined in fire with the lights reflected in the waters in quivering streams of living gold, seemed as if they must belong to another world. Later we went in the launch to the flagship, and spent a delightful hour with the Admiral's staff, who were keenly interested in New Zealand and in the Maori people. Mr Ngata and other Maoris, who did not wish to welcome the Americans because of their feeling toward the coloured races, have been altogether at sea in their calculations. The Americans are keenly interested in, anS*- altogether deiighted with the Maoris, and recognise in them a people far superior to the negro or the Red Indian. A Maori item at the Savage Club last night was greeted by tumultuons applause by the American officers, and the ceremonies at Rotorua to-day were successful beyond all expectations. The series of hakas with whicli the famous Arawa tribe welcomed the jvisitors greatly impressed every one of the officers who had the good fortune

: to witness it. The excitement of the , Maoris was intense, and the dances were 1 given with wonderful spirit and warlike fervour. In short, the effect was hyp- , i notic. • The visiting officers greeted the , performance with rousing cheers. Then, again, nothing could be finer j than the oration with which the chief of the Ai-awas greeted the visitors. It was translated by Dr Buck as follows :—: — r " Welcome Admiral Sperry and officers of ', the American fleet. We bid you welcome '. to the land \»hich our ancestors fished up ! out of the great ocean Kiwa. We welcome you with much pleasure to this island, because we have heard of your gracious words in Auckland. We welcome you as friends, because we recognise [ you are distinguished visitors, that you ' come of the same blood and have the same geneological tree as the Anglo-Saxon \ people, and of King Edward. We wel- ' come you always as men who go down ' into the sea in ships, because the Maoris 1 I and ancient Polynesians were seafaring people. They owned the Pacific at one time, and their territory extended from the southernmost limit of Neiv Zealand to the Sandwich Islands. Our ancestors navigated the Pacific with canoes dug out with stone when your own people were hugging your own shores. We recognise that you are uplifting the mana and prestijge which we once enjoyed, our ancestors sailing through the ocean long before the time of Columbus. Therefore we welcome you with a warm heart. The first chief welcome that we gave you was the incantation sung in the Arawa canoe when reaching Aotearoa, because just as this incantation brought gladness to the hearts of the people who were in the ; canoe, so your visit brings light and gladness to our hearts this day. Had you been ordinary people we would have sent women to meet you, but as you are warriors we sent warriors to meet you. To Sir Joseph Ward and the Government party we have little to say, because they are one with us. We just extend to them a formal greeting, but the main part is for Admiral Soerry and the American officers, because the.y come from over the sea." — (Loud applause.) Admiral Sperry, in his reply, which was translated by Dr Buck, expressed great pleasure with the welcome, which, he said, was peculiarly acceptable as coming from a race of sailormen who navigated the Pacific 60 many centuries before the Anglo-Saxon race settled in the colonies. It was doubly welcome, because they were members of i the great Anglo-Saxon race — those two families extending in all directions over the Pacific. Both races, through their rulers, had effected improvement under their rule in the conditions oi all native races with whom they had come in contact. E-e specially thanked them for wel coming him with ceremonies of ancient friendship, by which they prrceived the j noble traditions of tb-eir race. ' As instancing how keenly the officers arc interested 1 in the Maoii ppop'e, I may men;- ; tion that last evening I visited six" book-6-ellers' shops to get a copy of Manning* & I Old Xew Zealand '* t present to Lieu-tenaut-coinniander Cone, and I found that j

there had been a great demand for the work. I managed to get the last one left in Auckland. , The feature of to-day's events was the j j Maori demonstration at Rotorua.