MR BRYCE AND TAWHYO.

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 114, 18 November 1882, Page 152

MR BRYCE AND TAWHYO.

I JOBGOT to mintion in me last ipistol that I bad to accompany the Native Ministhe*r to meet His Majesty King Tawhyo. Ay coorse Johnny doesn't undherstand a word o' Maori at all, at all, and I had to act as interprither. Be the hokev, the meetin' betchune the Ministher an' the King was a most affectin' saramoney, so it was. His Majesty an' inesilf bein 1 ould frinds, a few words from me istablished a cordial relation at oncet betwixt the hayro o' Paryhakey an' the Suvereign. Whin we approached the throne — which be the same token was the idintical gin-case that the King used on a pravious occasion — I insthructed Johnny in the eat-a-eat .o' the Maori Coort. Afther the saramoney o' rubbin' noses had been gone through, the followin' discoorse took place : — " Allow me to inthrojooce to your Majesty the grate Grineral Bryce," ses I. "Is it the immortial hayro o' Paryhakey. that rode the white charger for all the world like B&ney at Watherloo ?" ses the King. "The same at yer sarvice," ses Johnny. "Be the powers o' Moll Kelly, I'm proud to make yer acquaintance," ses the King. " Cead mille failthe," ses the King, catchin' Johnny round the neck an' bumpin' the royal Greeshin handle ay His Majesty's face against the Roman knocker on the Ministarial countenance. "Be me conshince this is the proudest moment o' me life," ses Johnny. " Will yer Majesty take a taste o' the craythur ?" ses I, projoocin' the bottle. " Will a duck swim ?" ses the King, takin' a long an' a sthrong pull. Well, me jewell, we spint the whole o' that day in dhrinkin'.one another's healths, an' we wound, up the procaidins with a game o' forty-fives, in the course of which His Majisty rinaiged the ace, and fchried to take Johnny's five fingers, but the Native Ministher refused to show his hand. Before wishin' the King good-night, we presinted His Majioty with a gooid railway pass, a pound o' the best tobacky, an' one of Mr Bryce's ould hats. Ay coorse the discoorse was carried on in Maori, an' I'm givin' you a brief reshume (Princh) in English. The nixt day we -had a grand korero at a place called Whatiuwhatiuowe (an' be the same token it got this name bekays the King one night in a state of hiccups axed one o' the royal retainers the question, " What — do — you — what — do — you — owe the ould Pakeha villyun that sould us the bad whiskey ?") On this occasion the procaidins wor conducted in the poetical style that's used on state occasions. Whin all the lninibers 0' the coort an' the royai shoot wor saited, His Majisty rose from the throne and addhressed Johnny as follows : — " Oh, frind ! Oh, mighty womor ! Oh, bould hayro ! The shrieks o' the haka mingle with the grunts o' the wild pig as he runs madly through the tall flaxreeds o' Paryhekey. Again an' again I rayecho . the prophecy o' Tay Whitty, an' the mountains reverberate the mystic words — " The pittaty is cooked." The bones o' me royal ancesthors are fleshless, an' the Bharks are playin' hide-au'-go-seek in the bottom o' the deep blue say, so they are. The hills are high up in the air, and the valleys are down below. The land is dhry an' the water is wet, an' whin the tundher roars it makes a mighty grate noise, so it does. The mighty sperrit of the Pakeyha is sthrong (ispicially the rum), an' a grate blanket is over the land. Kapai ! Kapai ! This is me word to ye. D'ye mind me now ?" There was thriminjous cheerin' whin His Majisty finished, an' as it was gettin' late, Johnny intimated that he would risavve his speech for the nixt day. The korero thin broke I'll send ye a report o' Johnny's oration an' a new pome on the subject nixt week. f A3>DY MUEPHT.