ROTORUA PRESENTATIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13727, 17 August 1908, Page 5

ROTORUA PRESENTATIONS.

FLAX CLOAK FOR PBESIDENT ™ -ROOSEVELT.

Prior to leading Rotorua Lady Ward, in the presence of the officers of the fleet wao had made, the trip, presented' Admiral Sperry a very handsome Maoris flax cloak — a .gift from, some of the Maoris to President Roosevelt, for whom, she said* ; the Maoris had a high

admiration. j^dmipal Sperry undertook to hand the gift "personally to President Roosevelt, who would, he said, deeply appreciate it, as he had a warm admiration for all who lived the strenuous life like tho Maoris, from old <imes. Just before the special train left Rotorua for Auckland on Friday, Mita Taupopoki, the fine ,old Whakarewarewa chief /accompanied by Maggie Papakura, the guide, a£ interpreter, presented to ' Sir Joseph Ward a fine bone mere. ! The chief said that this mere had belonged to his ancestors for six , generations. He hoped it would never go-out- of-the-Prime Minister's family, and he asked Sir Joseph to consider the new meetingrhouse at Whakarowarewa as his own whenever he re-visited

the village. ' Sir Joseph Ward thanked the chief Warmly^ and promised to hand dowri the mere as a family heirloom.