THE MAORIS IN LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3673, 5 August 1924, Page 11

THE MAORIS IN LONDON.

VISIT TO WEMBLSY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 19. On the day after their arrival in London, the whole of Mr T. W. Katana's party of Maoris visited the British Empire Exhibition at Wambley. They were naturally impressed with the enormous extent of it. After spending some time m the New Zealand Pavilion, the party went to the Maori House, Mata-a-tua. As was only to be expected, the artificial expedients for the panel work were the first things to arrest their attention, and their horror of anything of this kind in what should be a sacred house entirely obliterated any other impressions they might have had with regard to tlie carvings Tlie few trifles in the, shape of mats that New Zealand had sent to appear in an expensive cabinet, which occupies a central position in the house, could only be an insult to them. As one of' the party remarked; ''“The mats they are showing there are merely what we use to wipe our feet on. It is the worst exhibit in the whole exhibition.” There was evidently no intention of making a special ehow of Maori work, but it seems unfortunate that the rubbish that was sent over should have been displayed at all. It has evidently gone to the heart of the Maoris, who are now over here unofficially. During their visit to the new Zealand Pavilion the party gave a small entertainment on the lawn, consisting of music, a poi dance, and a haka.