A MAORI WEDDING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4079, 28 February 1894, Page 4

A MAORI WEDDING.

An account of a Maori wedding a few days ago at a village north of Auckland, says that after the ceremony at church, the party moved to tbe village where great preparations had been made for the wedding feast. A long row of camp ovens, as straight as a file of soldiers, stood in one place. An immense ■ fire, built up of logs, good enough to cook a quarter of a bullock at once, kept the pot boiling. The feast was served up in a long shed, iv which fifty people could sit at once. Quite a staff of waiters, dressed in original aprons, attended to the tables inside. A crier was stationed on the roof, and with a blast of trumpets and in a mighty voice, directed the waiters outside as to what was wanted inside. At intervals he cordially invited all present to partake of the feast. The viands were well cooked. The bride and bridegroom occupied the head of the table, and banded around wedding cake to each relay. A Maori orator gave an address, which was much applauded. A Maori policeman, with a long whip, was very active in directing affairs and keeping order.

A PEETTY CONCEIT. The enormous sales of the Waterbury have lnfirms who do not care for a steady turnover at a legitimate profit to explore the purlieus of the Continent for cheap inferior " tickers "—we do not call them watches— with which to "run the Waterbury." These possess one virtue only— that of showing the dealer a return of some 150 per cent, on his outlay. That they should keep time is a 'matter of no moment, so long as they resemble the Waterbury in outward appearance, style of casing, &c, with sufficient closeuess to deceive a careless or unwary purchaser. Firms doing this often say to us •' What do we care j we can make five shillings a watch more on them than we can on yours ; and as to Jtpepins? time, well, our troubles about that." Buyers requiriug- reliable watches can trust the Waterbury, an! the public requiring the correct time should s*»e they get it. The gents' or ladies' Waterbury, gold filled or in sterling silver, are handsome, inexpensive, and drirable; whilst the nickel varieties are so well known that they require no further recommendation. It is a pretty conceit for here and there a stray trader to think his imports of the "Nebuchadnezzar," the " Millenium," the "Gonbung," or some other specially titled monstrosity, has any effect on the v> aterbury market, whilst for every watch hernervously orders over oue hundred Waterburys are always afloat for New Zealand. The real strength of the Waterbury lies in its absolute reliability, in other words, its absolute refusal to keep anything but the correct' time. We sometimps see " tickers "—we still bar them any other title— offered for sale which are really wonderful combinations. They not only exhibit the whole of the celestial bodies on their faces, but keep time, or profess, to tell you the state of the money market, the amount of any particular member s indebtedness at Bellamy's, and the name of the next Bauk to reconstruct in Australia. The Waterbury does not do this j it simply keeps correct tune ud goes on dolug so.