OLD-TIME MAORIS

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1932, Page 7

OLD-TIME MAORIS

VISIT TO ENGLAND IN 1864. HOST’S BOX OF SLOW-WORMS. A correspondent sends to the . “Manchester Guardian some interesting information about a party of Maoris which visited England in 1864. The information is derived from “Curiosities of Natural History,” by Mr. Francis T. Buckland, published in 1878. Tn a paper entitled “The • New Zealand Warrior Chiefs," Mt. Buckland describes in some detail how, having been fa see the public performance of. songs and war dances by six native chiefs at the Alhambra, Leicester Square, he entertained them to lunch at his house at Albany Street./ “Being anxious to see somewhat of the world,” Mr. Buckland says, “the Maoris were about to make their travels through England and the Continent. They hoped by means of their performances, to be enabled to work their way,’ and, if successful, io take back some golden trophies to their wives and children in New Zealand.” That was in July, 1864. , Mr. Buckland gives an entertaining account of the party where most of the conversation had to be carried on by signs on both sides. His tattooed guests evidently grasped the' main idea, however, for the New Zealanders “consumed 141 b. of roast beef in no time.” In gratitude for their kindly reception one of the chiefs offered to, tattoo his host’s face,'- 'which honour Mr.- Buckland 7 declined, though he confesses to being “greatly inclined to let him operate on my arm, just for the fun of the thing.” Th 6 party was. drastically bfoken -up' and "the’ friendship almost irremediably shattered by Buckland’s innocently open--ing a 'box containing slow-worms andplacing one on the floor. The horrified guests fled in all directions, dashing out through the -open window “like -a packof hounds breaking cover,” filling the air with blood-curdling yells and cries. “When outside ‘the -window the Maoris spread themselves,, to my horror,” says Mr. Buckland, “all over the neighbours’ gardens, taking the low fences like deer; two of them saw a parlour window open on to the garden some few houses above mine and ran to it for' refuge. In the window, quietly sitting at her afternoon work, was a dear, peaceful old lady. The flying Maoris heeded her not but rushed straight for the window. “The poor old lady; looking up suddenly, saw a couple of gigantic savages with their faces tattooed screaming and yelling as they charged down on her; the good old thing was frightened out of her senses at this unwonted inburst of New Zealand savages into her garden in Albany Street and was nearly frightened out of her life.” The Englishman who was with the Maoris had great difficulty in collecting them together again, but he finally did so and they unwillingly returned to the house, though they still regarded Mr. Buckland with the utmost suspicion. Further investigation revealed the fact that in the Maori religion all reptiles and lizards, whether dangerous or not, are “Ngarara,” an expression implying the incarnation of the deity, powerful for evil, and consequently the resemblance of the worm to the lizard had filled the Maoris with fear. The* difficulty was overcome, however. After another glass of wine and a pipe of peace together all adjourned to the Zoological Gardens,, where the New Zealanders were amazed at what' they saw. The zebra interested them immensely, and they declared with delight thathe had tattooed his face!