WHAKATIWAI. – THE NATIVE MEETING.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1884, 6 August 1874, Page 3

WHAKATIWAI. - THE NATIVE MEETING.

(FEOM OUR OWN COUIIE3FONDENT.) At daylight this morning it was an nounced that the war canoe which hat gone to invite the guests to the feast was in the offing, and in an. instant all was bustle and excitement in the camp. _ -A preliminary war dance was at once ini provised, and though the morning was raw and misty, men rushed about the camp stripped to the waist, and gesticulating as if they had trod on some broker gla<s. We had then a war song, which you might have heard at Shortlaud, only you were possibly asleep at the time. In due course the war canoe came neai shore, and those in her paddled with might and main, and sang a war song too, By this time about one hundred women and some fifty men were down upon the beach awaiting the arrival of the canoe. The men were drawn up in ranks three deep, and had on shawls only, At the side of this force, • and evidently ehief-in-command stood the chief Tarapipipi, topping all his troops, and they were a really fine built set oi fellows, by more than half a head. As the war canoe came into tho creek, a number of the men on board leaped over the side and made furiously for the party who were already upon the shore. H ere they delivered a challenge, and were pursued to the very edge of the creek by one or two of the shore party. In an instant the canoe party were all making a headlong rush for the shore war party, and having reached it, the front ranks fell to their knees in the same attitude which Tarapipipi's party had preserved since the challenge was given. At a signal the canoe party leaped to their feet and sang a haka, which was again replied to by their opponents. There was then a performance, which might perhaps resemble that which took place after the rape of the Sabines, when the stolen iloman women interceded for their husbands, t his over, they were pursued to their canoe, from which they returned armed with their paddles and spears. At the head ,and chief of the canoe party, was Ema of Coromandel. This ceremony over, all came amicably ashore, and there was then performed a ceremony which I am told by a European, native born-by the way, is he a European?—he has only witnessed to-day, for the second time in his life. It appears that the command was delegated to Ema, who took charge of the Wakatana or war canoe, giving the invitations on behalf of tho Ngatipaua tribe. She had now to divest herself of the authority, and for that purpose laid down her taiaha and mat, the emblems of her authority, and made a speech to those assembled. At the close of the speech, 50 or 60 men and women danced J around Ema and the spear and mat, and sang a song in honour of lima. The ceremony was the most pleasing one of the day., At the close of this dance and song there was another, and after that a plentiful supply of refreshment. Since then there has i been more quiet than at any timo during ; the last four days and nights. This place • is an exact counterpart of Shortland in ; the early days—noise and row day and i night.