THE ROYAL VISITORS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10365, 14 June 1901, Page 1

THE ROYAL VISITORS.

of tiro King is warn! jto his people in New., Zealand.- He rejoices td sete them dwell in -peace 1 , ana.- triendship, and prays ithat they may continue to<oe united ' and to strengthen each other itt works of peace, and' that they also may strive for. the common good, and_ in aiding him to keep one and united' the . many^peoples under his sway. If our visits help to do v that, we shall be glad to count as .nought the sacrifices we have made in order to. see your chiefs and you face to face in .your beautiful country. Of our brief visit to Maoriland we shall carry with us lasting memories of the loyalty and love and generous kindness of the Maori people. May peace/ prosperity, and every blessing^abide with you ana yours" for ever." The Maoris then gave a War chant and dispersed. .

YESTERDAY'S DEMONSTRATION AT BOTOBUA.

(Par United Presa Asaooiattoii.) ROTOBUA, June 13. The Boyal party entrained «t Auckland under auspicious circumstances, the weather find,- though dondy. At Mercer, the fir»fc»atppp»ng-place, lk» Maori men, women and .children assembled, and, led by a chief, performed %a tmpTonrptu haka on a small scale, 'andrniving expressed in Maori their loyally and lore to -the Throne "for Vtn and-"ever,". ,gave. three hoar^ **»*)'ra in British tar fashion, "hurrah/•inr" with a lustiness that could not *"weU be exceeded. At Frankston June tl'on the train halted tothMan honr far lerreshmente ,whe&,the Duke and Jtachen alighted. Nottting of importance occured between. Frankton .and Botorna, save that the weather broke and an unpleasant- drizzle fell, subsetanentlr increasing to drenching rain, which lasted throughout the night, and which marred the proceeding, seriously. Aa the Royal .train readied the fiotorna platform a perfect hullaballoo laWWr'flia-.^aitwra. f, Thfc L*» B_,8 _, th <; MuaWnt noisy ; welcome ,<«: the aa> KMri tribe* V ti. Nortk Island, ■nnibenng 4000 in all- Bain and- ap-' broaching darkness marred the -effect, aad theft Highneaaes, without, delay, were driven to the Grand Hotel, accompanied by a military escort. • The following is the text of the native address : — "Welcome, welcome, O Son, to these isles of Aotearoa and Tewmiponnamn. Welcome to Maonland, and welcome thou who art of the blood of the emblem of the Mana and Majesty of Empire, tinder whose benign rule we are proud to abide. O Royal Daughter of Princes, joined to him who is the son of our Lord the King, we likewise greet you. We heard with onr ears, and hoped that we might see. Now we see with our eyes, and rejoice that this thing has come to pass in our day and generation. This is r great day, a day that will live in the memory of our race while God permit* them existence. Yet it is a day of mourning. We mourn the great Queen to whom our fathers ceded by treaty sovereignty over these isles; "who war the guardian of our rights and liberties from that time until she slept with her fathers. We, humblest of her children. alien in blood, yet kin by law and allegiance, mourn the loss of a mother Who sought the good of high and low alike, who loved peace, that by_ peace among her peoples they might Yiso yet higher in greatness. She was all that oar fathers knew in their day. Hei name i« the gift they "bequeathed ere .they passed. Pass, O Mother, to thy rest with the mighty dead who went before thee. Welcome,' welcome, welcome. In the name of the King, your father, we hail the new King in your person. He has succeeded to the Throne of his mother to be our Chief, onr Lord, our Sovereign. Here in the presence of your Royal Highness .wo renew onr oath of allegiance, we confirm' the acts of our fathers who gavr all to Queen Victoria and 'her successors.' Hear, O ye peoples, to-day wr make a new treaty — new, yet old, inasmuch as we but add expressions of continued loyalty from our generation, and onr white brethren may give us of their strength to live and thrive with them and among them. Hear/ O Prince; hear, O Princess. From the far end? of the earth , from remote Hawiaiki Across the great seas of Kiwa, you have* come to these lands and peoples. It is well, for by so doing you have drawn closer the bonds of love which doth knit us altogether. Welcome and farewell; farewell, since you must pass on. It is enough that we. have seen. We wish a safe return to our King and his Queen, from whose presence you have come io gladden onr eyes in this most distant part of the Empire." The Duke replied as follows : — 'To the chiefs and tribes of the Isles Aotearoa and Tewaiponamn. — The warm wordc of welcome which yon 'have spoken t" tho Princess* and myself havo gladdened our hearts. From the far ends of the earth ovsr the. wide seas we have been sent by tha greaA King, my father, to hear and behold in their own beautiful land, his children, the Maoris. " Thr great Queen, whom your fathers knew aad loved, ' and for whom you mourn with us, with all nations and races under the mana~ and majesty . of her Empire, had, before she passed to rest. desired us to visit her people across the tea to toll of her gratitude for the aid' of their brave young men in tho cruel war* into which she, who ever loved and worked for peace, had been driven. Proud and gl*d was tho great Queen that the sons of her Maori children, eager 'with love and loyalty, longed to .stand tide by side with their brethren in the field of battle. Tho King, my father, though hi* cup wa» full of sorrow, and in parting with us, his children, but added to its Wttcrncaa could not endure that her wishes should paas, unfulfilled, and I come in his name, and on his behalf, to declare to you thedeep thankfulness of his heart for your loving sympathy in his loss, and for the noble and tender words, in which you spoke your love and reverence" for her memory. The words of tho MaonF ." are true words— the words of the generous and chivalrous people who are ready to make good with the hands thp " promise o« the lips. To receive your pledges of loyalty and to learn from me £hat yon have renewed your oath of allegiance and confirm the act of your fathers, who gave all to Queon Victoria and her snecetaors, will give ioy to-rov father's 'heart, and fill him .with strength and courage for the great work that lies befoio him. The heait