PRESENTATION OF MEDALS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11702, 19 June 1901, Page 2

PRESENTATION OF MEDALS.

HOKITIKA TROOPER

HONOURED.

Wellington, June 19. — There was a large -attendance >at the presentations of medals.' The men were drawn 'up. oh the lawn at Parliament Buildings, '^lie surroundings were crowded. Their Royal Highnesses drove up punctually jjaqd re ceived hearty cheers. No time was lost Tn getting torworkfaml^he medals were presented almost as fast as Colonel ' Pen: ton could call out the'-namesJ Medals to the numher of 311 were, handed tj3>tl*e recipients by , the'"] Duke, who wore the, uuifo'rin of the Irish Fusiliers:^ Niurses ( Monson : in'd '-Warmin'gtdnj. who came last, received three-ch eers- .A? running fire of applause .was kept up durinjg the '"whole ceremony:. Trooper",Margap., of Hokitika, who| jtiadrendered sbene service to Prinijer T,eckf (the -Duchess' brother) during the, ' Sooth :&fif!canjc£sif v paign, was presented to the Duchess of York. Just as the Roy^ltifs left a rain squall., came oh^an^d drove; the crdwd ;T^ome. "; ( - ,\ '' '", ,[ i: "^

TJbe total value o£ thet native] presents giveiljio'the Djdk> ( and Duduasf of > York at Rolorua is now estimate^ at between ■£1000 -and! £2000.; Vstoria Kem{> and her own people, alone gave*"B7"|inejmats','worth, probably, on an average}: £5 each. The greenstone 'weapons -"vgiyen ! were worth a very large- isum^oae. 1 of thesK having been, in..,th3 Jban.ds.ojEjthe donor's tribe for thirteen generations, of the whalebone- weapons long flat swords madeJEiipm the^riDi ofj^ne speraa. whale, and 7>rnauien,tea "wi\h Ttifjts of' dog's hair near the handle. These! relics" of ~,ttKr3P?isV are far rarer than jother weapon^, and their value in Maori eyes is very 'considerable, r^ -"fff S 7 i