THE NATIVE REGATTA AND CARNIVAL, AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue I, 7 January 1899, Page 17

THE NATIVE REGATTA AND CARNIVAL, AUCKLAND.

We give some interesting pictures of some of the events in the Native Regatta and Carnival now drawing to a close in Auckland, which has been one of the many attractions of the holiday season in the North this year. Tuesday of last week was the first great day of the Carnival and some five thousand people visited the Calliope Dock. North Shore, where the Maoris are encamped and the sports held. The spectators were much interested in inspecting the native encampment of tents and whares, in which about five hundred natives are temporarily housed, and in watching the native mode of cooking in the ‘hangi,’ or earth ovens. Conspicuous features of the eamp are the five Maori whares which have been constructed by the various tribes for the house-building competitions, for which prizes are offered. The whares are constructed of manuka framework, and raupo and nikau walls and thatch, and are each 20 feet by 14 feet, with an open porch in front, after the orthodox Maori style. Every day during the Carnival the ‘Kia Ora’ Maori Brass Band (from Takapu, Rangiriri), under Pompey Totara as bandmaster; the ‘Ngeangea’ Band (from Onewhero), under Mr Batchelder: and the Kaikohe Brass Band played a number of pleasing selections of music.

The native hakas, or ‘tu-waewae’ (dances), formed one of the principal features of the afternoon. Hakas are not the strong point of the Waikato young men nowadays; football and band playing are more in the line of these degenerate scions of a warrior race, and they were easily outdanced by the Arawa contingent from Rotorua, the male members of which stripped for the occasion, and wore only the old Maori ‘rapaki,’ consisting of a shawl or sheet round their waists. The Waikato dancers consisted chiefly of members of the ‘Kia Ora.’ and ‘Ngeangea* bands, with the addition of several Maori women and girls. Each of the three rival ‘haka’ parties (two from Waikato and one from Rotorua.) danced several hakas and gave action songs, one being an imitation of a. tug-of-war. Those who hod not previously seen a good Maori haka were much interested in the dances.

The ‘Kia Ora' Band members were the first to compete in the haka con-

tests for the prize of £5. About 15 men and the same number of women composed the party, which was under the leadership of a chief named Ngawharau Pukauae, belonging to the Ngatinaho tribe, from Takapu, on the Waikato river. These people gave several dances, one of which was a very amusing imitation of an Irish jig. The second dancing party then went through their share of the work. This party consisted of the members of the ‘Ngeangea’ Band (King Mali uta’s), headed by old Parukau, attired in native costume, and by a chief named Puhi Rauwaho, from Onewhero, both of whom brandished fine ‘patus.’ or ‘meres,’ and acted as masters of ceremonies. One or two hakas were danced by these natives, and they sat down amidst loud applause. The Arawa contingent, from Rotorua, then came forward, and the athletic, stalwart appearance of the men was much admired. The women were headed by a woman named Kiri Matai, who is a splendid leader of a dance. The Rotorua contestants danced one or two excellent hakas, and the women then gave a. very pretty ‘poi’ dance, with balls of raupo held by a short string.

The judges awarded the first prize for the hakas to the Rotorua party, who were undoubtedly the best as regards costume and dancing. The Ngeangea party secured second prize, and the Kia Ora third. THE CANOE RACES.

The canoe hurdle races in the Calliope Dock caused great amusement and were witnessed by thousands of spectators from the terraces of step* around the dock basin. The hurdle was a pole about a. foot above the water in the centre of the dock, the ends of the hurdle resting on floating platforms. For the first event, a canoe hurdle race for men. two in each canotx three. e,rews competed. The "kopapa," or small canoes, which competed were the Maori, Romana, and Kahiraiti, all from the Waikato river. The Maori, manned by Paul Aubrey and Hori Paki. won after a very interesting and amusing contest. The next event was a canoe hurdle race for women, two in each canoe, which gave rise to intense merriment, owing to the frantic efforts of the wabines to get over the hurdles and the frequent capsizes of the canoes. The Kahiraiti won the event. The winning crew were two women named I’ungapunga and Whakara. A canoe hurdle race for men followed. the course being two and a-half lengths of the dock. Kahiraiti won, the crew being Kerapa Rotana and son. A canoe tug-of-war, three in each canoe, also took place, the Kahiraiti winning- after a tough struggle. But the event of the Carnival, which was looked forward to with the greatest interest was the war canoe race on Saturday afternoon. Three war canoes the Taheretikitiki (Waikato), and the Omapere and Tawatawa, from the Bay of Islands competed, and each was decorated in ancient style, and carried between 40 and 50 men. Seeing that it was probably the last contest of its kind that will take place in New Zealand, the number of spectators assembled to witness it was

very large. In connection with the war canoe race we reproduce a picture from the ‘London Illustrated News" of October. 1862. taken of the Waitemata Harbour on Regatta Day of that year. As the engraving shows, there was a great Maori war canoe rave that year. To the left of the picture is seen Her Majesty's steamship Miranda, and on the left is Her Majesty’s steamship Fawn. Both vessels had been ordered up from Taranaki by Commodore Seymour after the cessation of hostilities. ‘The very unsettled state of the colony for nearly two years,' says the ‘News,' ‘prevented the natives from joining with the Europeans in their amusements; but the timely arrival of Sir George Grey very soon produced an amount of confidence sufficient to cause a belief that the odious ‘Law lor Fighting' would soon be rendered nugatory; therefore a native tribe living near Auckland, on the Coromandel coast, was induced to bring their war, canoes and warriors to join with the Pakehas (or white men) in the amusements of the regatta. Many other more distant tribes would have joined. but they ascertained that only one prize was to be gained, however numerous the competitors; consequently they declined io undergo the great exertion necessary to compete with their brethren unless a. prize was guaranteed to every crew that enter-

ed, without which they eould see no fun in undergoing so much fatigue merely for amusement; and the tribes which was persuaded to participate in the regatta agreed among themselves beforehand that the amount of money gained as a prize was to be equally divided among them in consideration of the labour endured by each individual in the exertion of his utmost strength. The sight of this extraordinary canoe race was not one to be easily forgotten by those who witnessed it. The chiefs performed hideous antics and gesticulations, acting as fuglemen, and going through the most remarkable contortions of the body combined with frightful screams and yells, which were responded to in perfect cadence by all those in a sitting posture (women even included).'