ROYALTY AT ROTORUA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9171, 13 June 1901, Page 3

ROYALTY AT ROTORUA.

GREAT MAORI GATHERING. SKETCHES OF CAMP AND PEOPLE. (From our Special Correspondent.) ROTORUA, June 13. What has been looked forward to as the most unique, if not the most interesting, feature of the Royal tour to this colony, and one to which we learn the Duke and Duchess are anticipating with the keenest delight, is now on the eve of fulfilment, and is m readiness for the visit, which is viewed with equal pleasure by the representative Natives of the colony. There is assembled one of the largest huis ever held m New Zealand It is hard to put m words the color, animation, and Babel of sounds which are some of the things that strike one at this great congress of over 4000 people of the Native race, representing every tribe m the colony, from the North Cape to Otago. It is. a good deal larger •than the great gathering held at Tan : -piri m 1894 at the tangi over King Tawhaio, and it is a much bigger affair than the important meetings held m the seventies between Sir George Grey and the Kingites. In fact, there are only two meetings that compare with it — the Remuera gathering of "1844, when the might of the Waikato, nnder the redoubtable warrior Te Wherowhero, made such a martial display that the white population of the infant capital trembled, and the conference of tribes at Kohimaramara, m 1866. The present. Rotorua gathering, however, outshines them all, and promises to become equally historical. The old order of things has been temporarily revived at this hui. On the wide racecourse we see the ancient weapons, the savage-looking, tattooed faces of historic Aotearoa, and we hear old songs and snatches of weird poetry, dating back to legendary. Hawaiki, of the Thousand Islands, South Seas, are heard as the long-severed clans greet each other, as the orators pace up and down, spear m hand, leap into the air, and pour forth ?>etical greetings, us m the days of old. et it is a curious mingling of the old and new. Deeply-tattooed warriors, whose memories go back to the cannibal era, ait side by side with young bloods who ride bicycles. The attire of the people is a wonderful mixture. A great many are dressed m the height of pakeha fashion, and some sport frock co&s and bell-toppers, while there are many fine specimens of Maori garments also worn, with the Native love of color. The fashions, of the Maori ladies are exceedingly, striking. The encampment itself forms a sort of great semi-circle oh the east -side of the racecourse, separated from the clear ground m front of the Royal grandstand by a belt of short manuka scrub. A wide and long street is flanked on either side by many score of tents and large raupo whares, and from the main avenue branch off various small lanes forming divisions between the camps of the various tribes. Some hapus ore -housed m large marquees ; others are detached m sections like a regiment of soldiers m line m square or bell tents; others make themselves' at home m the familiar raupo huts, and all are happy and good-tempered. Besides the 4000 people m the .encampment, there are numerous hapus ofthe Arawa tribes, whose quarters are at Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa, and who as the tangata-whenua, the people of the place, share' with the Government the responsibility of entertaining the visitors. The Tood supplies the latter have brought are as various as the localities of their tribes. Tons of potatoes, kuraras, shell-fish, droves of cattle and pigs, and flocks of sheep are requisitioned to feed the hungry multitudes. Then there are various delicacies peculiar to particular districts — potted pigeons and wild duck from Taupo and Tuhoe, taro from the semi-tropical far north, and preterved mutton-birds from the cold South. A great pile of a couple of hundred tons of firewood is stacked close by to where the permanent force men are busily engaged m serving out the Government share of the provisions to the tribes, and at the rear of each of the tribes' lines are- cooking quarters, where scores of boilers and Native hangis (the primitive earth-ovens) are going continuously. The assemblage includes many of the highest chiefs m the land, and amongst stbem are men like Ngata, the Maori barrister, and Dr Pomare, who have distinguished themselves by their educational accomplishments, and others who have rendered great service to the Crown on the field of battle. There are many others also who have fought against "us, but who are now the most loyal of the King's subjects, and delighted at the opportunity of showing honor to» the late Queen's mokupuku (grandson). Every tribe here, m fact, have their battle-scarred veterans, and friends and foes of 30 years ago are living together m the greatest amity fc DETAILS OF THE CAMP. The condition of the big kainga as regards order, cleanliness, and sanitation is excellent, and is a distinct credit to the Natives. The Maori Council have extensive powers of dealing with offences against order, sobriety, and sanitary rules, and they carry them out well. The place is kept scrupulously clean. The committee have instituted a code of fines for petty offences — 2s and 5s for breaches of sanitary laws, 10s for the first offence of drunkenness and £1 for the second, and non-payment entails imprisonment m a guard tent. There is no lack of at-

tention to the spiritual condition of the people, many Maori ministers being present, and a huge united service held last Sunday m the open air jvas a very interesting sight, a choir from each tribe m turn singing hymns. THE NATIVE DANCES. The dancers who are rehearsing for the Duke have m their receptions made a very fine show, and given the onlookers a good idea of the splendid fighting material which the Maori race afford, as m the dances and warlike evolutions before the Duke there is to be an entire return to the old Maori weapons, m order to give as perfect an idea as possible of the fighting methods of the race before the introduction of the musket. Not a gun is to be seen. Spears, taiahas and meres of sharp-edged bits of wood, stone, and whalebone are alone to be seen, and there is many a treasured heirloom. A WELCOME IN THE ANCIENT STYLE. At Saturday's reception, with a rush and a roar, the big men of Ngatikuhungunu (Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa) will spring to their feet, each right hand grasping a carved taiaha, their eyeballs rolling and faces fearfully grimacing. Then come the men of Taiarawhiti (the East Coast), yelling m a chorus that may be heard a mile or two away the thundering of the welcome song "Draw hitherto the canoe," and the ancient "It is death, it is death, 'tis life, 'tis life." Their scanty costumes show that, "like so many Europeans, these wellbuilt fellows owe nothing to their tailors. All are stripped to .the waist, their costumes being short breeches or still shorter waist-cloths. These dancers fall back and make way for the warriors of Wanganui. Sixty or seventy spearmen, crouched on the ground m close column, stripped to the waist, spring forward and stake their quivering spears ; they chant m splendid style, with fierce gestures, their welcome songs, and give an exceedingly energetic haka, afterwards charging back to their tents for their clothes. Other tribes follow with similar songs and dances, after which speeches of welcome will be delivered by Various Maori orators, some of whom break into ancient incantations, which will be taken up by the tribes from behind. One of their lamentations is to the effect that the Government has scooped m all the land around us, and the poor Maori is left with but a quarteracre. A PRETTY CUSTOM. One of the ceremonies m which the Duke and Duchess must anticipate is that of the ancient Maori rite of hospitality—the formal presentation of food. After the dancing, their Royal Highnesses will be invited to enter a marquee and partake of the food prepared m Maori style, and laid on mats of flax. When the Arawa visited the ' camp of the united tribes last week this ceremony of the. "Tuku Kai" was performed with much gusto. A number of young men of the camp advanced m two long lines, performing a haka as they did so, each bearing a loaf of bread or a handful of biscuits, and others carrying buckets of tea, all of which were laid on the grass m front of the Arawas. Then a squad of the Ngapuhis came forward, carrying more bread, and pannikins for the tea, yelling a welcome song. "Here we come," chanted their leader, "bringing our gift, fifteen pannikins of Ngapuhi." Next, skipping and singing, came a party of Wanganui men, carrying baskets and dishes of boiled potatoes and preserved pigeons, the Wellington tribes bringing more kai, accompanied by the Otaki Brass Band. Other tribes came and laid their offerings on the already big pile. The bill of fare completed, the hosts fell hack a space, and their spokesmen formally presented the food to the tangata-whenua, the men of the soil. Major Fox, for the people of the Lakes, acknowledged the gift m dignified fa«hion, and m a few minutes thereafter the Arawa were making serious inroads m the heap of kai-kai and the steaming buckets of tea. Songs of welcome will be a noteworthy feature of the reception tendered to the Duke. To-morrow afternoon, and again on Saturday, there will be the numerous striking songs, war chants, elegaic ballads, and other poetical compositions of the tribes, some breathing the fierce spirit of tumatarenaga? « the angry face full of war. Other songs m a lighter vein will be sung by various divisions of the Maori people. In their tangi songs for the dead Queen they will make touching reference to the passing away of WiMtoria, thengreat tapairu akiri, as they style her, to the distant regions of death. For a number of days past the tribes have been constantly rehearsing ■ their formal songs of welioome, and at night from the glimmering lines of .the tented town there are borne on the still evening air to Rotorua township many a loudlyroared battle chant or haka song. Some are recent composition; others are from ancient days, reminiscences of the era of cannibal warfare, and abounding m strange and hardly-explained mythological allusions. Of the different tribes present, the Ngatiporu, from the East Coast, are expcted to far outshine the others. They have kept up the martial exercise of the fierce peruperu much longer than any other people, with the exception, perhaps, of the Urewera, who are ferociously energetic m their war-dance exhibition. The Ngatiporu old soldiers give a leaven of real fighting experience to their 150 or so dancers, who arrived w*th long wooden war axes, and will perform before Royalty on Saturday. They have a very effective" set of songs and dances prepared for the great reception, and their ear-splitting choruses should be most striking; and give the spectators some idea of what a war-song m the good old fighting days was like. In all their rehearsals, this tribe have carefully guarded their tents, lest the people of other tribes might be wandering round to pick up points from them m these rehearsals. There will be seen the curious spectacle of an M.A. and LL.B. of New Zealand University, a polished gentleman and clever young lawyer, bounding up and down, stripped to his trousers, a flax girdle round his waist, and a spear m his hand, leading his tribe m the wardance of his ancestors. He and other advanced men of Ngatiporu pride themselves on having eliminated a great deal of the more objectionable features of the dances and songs. The song of the Ngatiporu, which is to' be sung before the Duke on Satur- ■ day by the company from the East Cape as" they dance their peruperu/ is m part on adaptation of a celebrated old fighting Song. The composer of the song is apparently a close student of South African contemporary history, Kruger. and the Boers, there being up-to-date topical allusions. One of the principal songs makes a quaint reference to New Zealand politics and Native land legislation. It is intended as a welcome to , the Duke of York, who is greeted as the _ great stranger from beyond the sky. That the lines are not very complimentary to the Government may be judged from the following extracts: "We sink, we fall, we die! I The Government will eat up all! j What is the Government doing? I It is preparing to swallow up New ; Zealand, alas ! Come, ye bad laws! I See, they are assembled at Wellington • , In the den of lions, Gaping open for us." The Wanganui men, 150 strong, have ; some very effective songs, which they will chant as they dance before the Dnke, giving a political welcome to the grandson of the Queen. Each other tribe will also have a special song, and tlie grand united powhiti or song and dance of welcome, accompanied by the waving of green boughs by the assembled women, will be a pretty sight, one of those picturesque old-fashioned customs which is not likely to die out from amongst the Maori race for many a generation to come. MAYORAL RECEPTION. By invitation of the Mayor of Auckland, 700 ladies and gentlemen assembled at the Municipal Chambers, Art Gallery, and Free Public Library last night to meet the Duke and Duchess. It was a very brilliant function, and the leading society of the city was fully represented. The costumes of the ladies, though black was the prevailing color, were exceedingly handsome, and those of the Duchess nnd her attendants excited much admiration from the fair sex. Her Uoyal Highness was resplendent with diamonds, and wore a beautiful coronet, the Duke wearing evening dress, with the sash of the Garter. The Royal visitors were shown round the Gallery 'by the Mayor (Dr Campbell), and made '' ;i "minute inspection of the art treasures, wliich they seemed greatly to admire. ; They were introduced hv Lord Ranfurly ' to the members of the City Council and !inanv prominent citizens. There were two' string bands discoursing' classical

music. The Royal party remained about an hour, and after their departure supper was served m the Council Chamber, wliich was converted into a buffet. Owing to the extensive preparations for this function, the Public Library was closed during the present week. DEPARTURE FOR ROTORUA. The carriages specially built to take the Royal visitors to Rotorua are beautifully finished, rimu being the wood principally utilised. They were constructed under the immediate supervision of Mr Beat tie, of the Railway Department, at Newmarket, the upholstering being entrusted to a local firm. Punctually at ten the Duke reached the Auckland Station, and as the band struck up a few bars of the National Anthem the crowd cheered lustily. Those m the Royal train comprised the Duke and Duchess and suite, Lord Ranfurly, Ministers, the Reception Commissioners, Mr Ronayne and Mr Beattie (Railway Department), and the press representatives. JOTTINGS. The English pressmen, who were taken to Mount Eden yesterday by Ministers, are very enthusiastic regarding Auckland Harbor. - The illuminations were again displayed last night, and the streets were thronged with sightseers. Bon-fires were lit on the North Shore and other places overlooking the harbor. * . Everyone who has met the Duchess is charmed with her personality, but comments are not so favorable as regards the Duke, who is somewhat insignificant of stature. Several of the ladies-in-waiting are keen politicians, and at the Government House dinner discussed with the Ministers the New Zealand social legislation. Lady Mary Lygon is a pronounced opponent of the female franchise. ■When the Duke was being photographed with thc veterans yesterday, the camera fiend made elaborate preparations for posing, and having, as he thought, completed his picture, said with a bland smile, "Thank you, that will do," when, to his discomfiture, His Royal Highness, who is an amateur photographer, said, "I would remind you that you have not lifted the cloth from the camera." The group had to be reformed, and the picture re-taken— this time successfully. The Reception Commissioners, probably having m view the trying ordeal the Duke was subjected to at Melbourne and Sydney, ordained that the presentations at the. Government House reception should be confined to only Consuls and representative men, but the Prince put his foot down firmly, insisting on the whole 500 guests being introduced to the Duchess and -himself, or there should be no presentation whatever. There is some little soreness m Auckland over the fact that the Royal carriage did not stop m front of the living Union Jack, and that the children, who had been training for weeks, were given only a momentary glance at the Royal visitors.