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Carnival of the Tribes.

Early ou Saturday : people were wending their way out to the racecourse, where the martial carnival of the tribes was to be held. The big camp itself was early astir, and dancers mustered in position a full two hours before the ceremony started. It is a curious and striking scene that meets the eye. Massed in the centre of the ground are the dancers, every man in full fighting costume, stripped to the waist, and wearing mats of rustling flax, each carrying a painted taiaha or a long - pointed spear. Over the dusky warriors flags of every tribe assembled flutter in the breeze, from the huge ensign “porourangi,” of the Ngatiporou, with its crescent, moon and stars standing out against the dark blue background, to the tiny bannerettes carried by some of the tribes. In front of the Wanganui natives waves their white Alotea ensign, presented by Queen Victoria to the defenders of Motea. Another much-prized flag is the red ensign orf the Ngatihuia, presented at Otaki by Lord Onslow. The flags, spears, and columns of dusky warriors combine to lend a very martial air to the scene, and the white tents of the big encampment in the distant background enhance the military effect; To the left are the poi dancers, dressed alternately in red and white, in a huge semi-circle. Round the enclosure runs the black line of spectators, while the stands on either side the Royal pavilion are crammed to their utmost limits. Overhead is a blue unclouded sky, the whole enclosure being bathed in brilliant sunshine.

It is a long wait till 10 o’clock, when Royalties are due, and the tribes filll in the time practising their dances and songs of welcome. Others squat upon their haunches, jabbering excitedly. Four brawny warriors approach the Royal pavilion, bearing on their shoulders the 10ft model of the famous Arawa canoe, laden with gifts for the Royali couple. The canoe is placed upon the stand, and alongside the natives plant the blue banner of the Arawas, a flag presented them in 1870 by the Duke of Edinburgh. The Hon. Jas. Carroll, director of the whole affair, is early on the scene, wearing a dog-skin mat across his shoulders, and round his waist a mat of flax.

Shortly before ten loud cheering announce the arrival of the Duke and Duchess. The former was carrying in his right hand the greenstone adze presented to him by Major Fox, while the Duchess carried a fine mere, also presented on Friday. Their Royal Highnesses, on taking their seats'in the pavilion, were presented by Mrs Carroll with mats, which she fastened round their shoulders. The Duke’s mat was of dog-skin, wth a beaut fill border, while the Duchess wore a mat of kiwi feathers.

Lord Ranfurly sat on the Duke's right, and the Premier next the Duchess. The Tuhoe drum and fife baud played the National Anthem as the party took their seats, and the leading East Coast chiefs, assembled in line before the grandstand to greet their Royal guests.

Immediately in front of the Royal stand were massed the great Ixxly of the Maoris in battle array, in close formation of columns, or “matua,” eneh trilie forming a sort of square in compact bodies of armed men, nil stripped to the waist, flax kilts or shawls round their waists, their face*

daubed with black and blue warpaint, and their hair deeorated with feather pltunes. The sight Was an exceedingly warlike one, as the tribes, yelling their battle songs, fell in in companies on the ]taradegronn<l.They eronched down a short distance in front of the stand, weapons in hand, waiting for the arrival of the Royalties. About two thousand Maoris were gathered here to take part in the dances, while about another three thousand natives were spectators. The leading company, occupying tire position a little ahead of theother bodies, was the Ngapuhi tribe, of over a hundred dancers. On the extreme right’ wap the great body of the A'rawa tribe, all stripped to the waist, and wearing flax waist mats armed’ with wooden plumed battleaxes, 'while on the right were the Whanganuis, Hawke’s Bay, Lake Taupo. Wairarapa. Urewera and other tribes. Immediately in front of the stand was placed the model canoe, which the Arawas were to present to the Duke, covered with mats, on which were laid Major Fox’s presentation sword and rifle. As the Royal party took their seats the great body of the people, wildly excited, rose up, with spears, taiahas and war axes in hand. Then began a splendid martial scene, the like of which will never he seen again in New Zealand. The Ngapuhis performed a war dance, an.l then moved off. Then came Te Arsiwa, who also, with their weapons in hand, went through the warlike «ii ill with machine-like precision, singing in great chorus a song of welcome, roared from several hundred throats, led by old Major Fox, who, sword in hand, danced wonderfully energetically. Then came the war dance of the Ngaiterangi tribe, from Tauranga, armed with sharp spears, and with white feathers stuck in their hair. They sang their welcome song, then yelled the well-known old war song, beginning “kia kutia,” etc. A Wanganui tribe then, dressed only in flax waist mats, danced some splendid hakas. which were loudly applauded as they moved off. Then the ehieftainesses advanced and laid handsome mats at the Dukes feet. Next the Arawa tribesmen came on again, attired in waist garments and performed hakas exceedingly well, the roaring choruses from hundreds of throats, and simultaneous thud of hundreds of feet on the ground making the performances most impressive. Led by their chiefs, they chanted appropriate songs of welcome to the grandson of the Queen. Then the Ngaiterangi tribe again came on the scene, leaving their spears behind. Led by their chiefs, they performed a good haka to the accompaniment of a fine song, in which they greeted the Duke with the words. “Oh! welcome here, draw near to its. Oh! our treasure from afar.” Then they retired with loud hurrahs.

The Ngapuhi warriors, from the far North, gave another war dance, led by an old warrior in front, almost entirely naked, to show his remarkable breech tattooing. They marked off, singing an ancient song of welcome to their great guest from beyond the far boundaries of the sky. Next came a splendid exhibition, which carried one in imagination to the olden days. The young chief Te Ifeuheu, feathers in hair, legs bare and native mat round him, taiaha in hand, rushed down the centre of the field to where a small army of half-naked men were crouching on lhe ground, with spears in their expectant grasp. When a short distance from the warriors he hurled a spear at them in the ancient, fashion of the “Wero,” or challenge, and at once turned and fled back, pursued at racing speed by the warriors, their bare feet thundering on the ground as they ran. These were Heuheu’s tribe, the Ngatituwharetoa, from Lake Taupo, about two hundred strong, including a large party of splendid-looking women in flax, feather mats and capes. .lust in front of the Royal stand they halted in fighting array. Then followed a thrilling pernperu, or real old war dance, far excelling those which preceded them. At the word from their chieflyloking leader, Te Heuheu, they sprung up and yelled out their song of jubilation in honour of the visit, jumping this way and that, their faces grimacing and eyeballs glaring, all keeping splendid time with their forest of ■pear*.

At intervals in the dancing the ceremony of presenting gifts to the Royal visitors took place. A line of men and women advanced, facing the ranks, and deposited their treasures at the Royal pavilion, at the feet of the Duke and Duchess. Every tribe had given its most previous heirlooms, and some were very rare and priceless in their historic associations—meres of whalebone and greenstone, beautifully, worked mats of kiwi feathers, or coloured flax handsome feather kits, korowais, and puipuis in wouderfinl variety of form and colour; One gift was an old-time banner of flax, another a- beautiful . mat of. pigeon feathers. The gifts, numbering dozens, were piled high in a heap on the floor of the pavilion before the Royal couple, and Mrs Carroll fastened a handsome greenstone tiki round the Duchess’ necK. The Maoris’ address of welcome, beautifully framed, was laid on top of the pile.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZGRAP19010622.2.74.12

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XXV, 22 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

Word Count
1,412

Carnival of the Tribes. New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XXV, 22 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

Carnival of the Tribes. New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XXV, 22 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)