Maori Address of Welcome.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XXV, 22 June 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

Maori Address of Welcome.

The address presented by the Maoris at Rotorua is handsomely framed in New Zealand wood, and the execution of the lettering is admirable. The main design surrounding the address takes the form of the front of a Maori whore, on which the old style of native carving is well depicted. Over the door is the inscription: “Haere mai e te kotuku, rereuga talii te uianu hire tuaraugi.** In the top corners are pictures of the Duke, and Duchess of Cornwall and kork, and at the bottom corners are, on one side a pretty little sketeh of Mount Egmont, and on the other a tattooed Maoriattired in the old style costume of mats, with his mere. The dark red colouring of the Maori carving, shown on the wharf, is relieved with a tri-coloured design in the National colours, red, while and blue. The whole is interwoven with a background of .the beautiful bush of New Zealand. The wording of the address is typical Maori, being as follows:

“Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York: Welcome, welcome, welcome. O son, welcome to these isles. Ao-te.-a-roa and Te Waiponnamn! Welcome to Maorilanfl! Welcome thou who art of the blood, the emblem of the mana, the majesty of the Empire, under whose benign rule we are proud to abide. O Royal daughter of Princes, joined to him who is son of our Lord King, we likewise greet you! We heard with our ears, and hoped that we might see with our eyes, and rejoice that this thing has come to pass in our day and generation. This is a great, day—a day that will live in the memory’ of our race while God permits them existence. Yet it is a day of mourning. We mourn the Great Queen to whom onr fathers ceded by treaty the sovereignty over these isles; who was the guardian of our rights and liberties from that time until she slept with her fathers. We. the 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 lovefl peace, that by peace among her peoples they might rise yet higher in greatness. She was all that our fathers knew in their day. Her name is a gift they bequeathed to us ere they passed. Pass, oh 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, our Lord, our Sovereign. Here in the presence of Your Royal Highnesses we renew our oath of allegiance; we confirm the act of our fathers, who gave all to Queen Victoria and her successors. Hear. O ye peoples, to-day we make a new treaty; new and yet old, inasmuch as we confirm the old, to which we but add expressions of continued loyalty from our generation, and pray that our sovereign and our 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 ends of the earth, from remote Hawaiiki across the great seas of Kiwa you have come to see these lands and peoples. It is well, for by so doing you have drawn closer the bonds of love which knit us all together. Welcome and farewell! Farewell, since you must pass on! It is enough that we have seen. We wish you a safe return to our King and his Queen, from whose presence you have come to gladden our eyes in this the most distant part of the Empire. (Signed) J. Carroll, Hone Heke, Wi Pere, Tami Parata, H. R. Taiaroa. To this the Duke replied at some length. His Royal Highness' remarks were interpreted in Maori by Mr Carroll, for the benefit of the assembled natives, who listened with keen attention. punctuating the speech with guttural ejaculations expressive of evident appreciation. The following is the full text of The Duke's Reply. “To the chiefs and tribes of the Isles Aotearoa and Waipounamu: The warm words of welcome which you have spoken to the Princess nnd myself have, gladdened our hearts. From

the far ends of the earth, over the wide seas, we have been sent by the great King, my father, to hear and behold in their own beautiful kind his children, the Maoris. lT»e great Queen a hum your fathers knew and loved, and for whom you mouru with u*. and with all the natives and rai-ee under the mana and majesty of the Empire, had. before she passed to her rest, desired us to visit her people beyond the seis. to tell of her gri-nt gratitude for the aid of those brave young men in the cruel war into which she. who ever loved anu wvPked for |»eucr. liad been driven. Proud and glad was the great Queen also that the sons of her Maori children, eager with love and loyalty, longed to stand side by side with their brethren in the field of battle. The King, my father, though his cup was full of sorrow, and parting with us, his children, but added to it.- bitterness, could not endure that her wish should pass unfulfilled, and I come in his name and ou his behalf to declare t.i you the deep 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 the Maoris are true words the words of the generous and chivalrous people, who arc ready to make good with the hands the promise of the iips. To receive your pledges of loyalty, and to learn from me that you have renewed your oath of allegiance and confirmed the act of your fathers, who gave all to Queen Victoria and her successors, will give joy to my father’s heart, nnd will fill him with strength and courage for the great work that lies before him. The heart of the King is warm to his people in New Zealand. He rejoices to see them dwell together m peace and friendship, and prays that they may continue to be united and to strengthen each other tn 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 visit helps to that end. we shall be glad to count as naught 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 t"he loyalty and love anu generous kindness of the Maori people. May peace, prosperity, and every blessing abide with you and yours for ever.” When the Dnke had finished, his remarks being put into beautiful Maori by the Native Minister, the latter led the Maoris in a rousing old “ngeri” or war song. The well known ancient chant commencing ’’Kaimate kaimatc, kia ora. kia ora," was moat appropriate to the occasion, being often used as a song of welcome to illustrious guests. Impromptu as the song and dance were, the Maoris infused into it a heartiness that marked the spontaneity of their enthusiasm. One bare legged veteran in full native costume, with an up-to-date top bat surmounting his tatooed face , danced excitedly within a yard or two of the Royal couple, brandishing a tai alia as he chanted his song of welcome. The air of amused pleasure with which the Duchess regarded the enthusiastic old man and his companions showed that the novelty of the reception appealed strongly to her sense of humour. The Duke,' too, seemed genuinely pleased with the proceedings. After the dance of welcome the bauds struck up the National Anthem again, and the crowd cheered as loudly as before. Their Royal Highnesses acknowledging the salute with a bow. The Royal party then entered the hotel and the crowd dispersed.