THE EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 7, 16 February 1907, Page 19

THE EXHIBITION.

THE BANDS’ CONTEST. MAORI AND FIJIAN DANCES. (Special Service.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. There was a large attendance at the Exhibition on. Saturday, of which bandsmen from ail parts of the colony and in all varieties of uniforms formed a portion. The city is at present full of bandsmen, who have assembled to take part in the great contest, which will continue daily from Monday morning till Saturday night. Ten bands from the North arrived on Saturday morning, seven from the South arrived by Saturday night’s express, and about ten more from the North Island' were passengers by..to-day’s boat from Wellington. The following officers will act as judges of the military portion of the band quickstep competitions: Lieutenants - Colonel Hawkins and Jowsey, Captains Foster and Meddings, Sergeanls-Major Farthing and Hoare. Mr. J. 1). Hunter, of Dunedin, official timekeeper of the North Island Brass Bands’ Association, will act in that capacity at the competitions.

The remainder of the attendance al the Exhibition on Saturday consisted mostly of country visitors ami residents from other parts of the colony, attracted by the cheap steamer and railway fares. Visitors by steamers arc still arriving in large numbers. Of the three boats which arrived from the North yesterday the Mararoa brought Gfitt excursionists, the Pateena 154, and the Manuka 288. The principal features of the day were the organ recital by Dr. Bradshaw, tlio orchestral concert, and the combined performance by the Fijiarfs and Maoris. Over 1 100 persons witnessed the performance by the natives. The Maoris of the Hawke’s Bay district, and those who came before them, made , speeches, in which they expressed regret at the impending departure of the Fijians. Dr. Buck translated their remarks into English, and the reply of Ratu Ifermi, on liehalf of the Fijians, was translated by Mr. W. A. Scott. Ifermi welcomed the pew natives to the Exhibition, and cups of kava, the Fijian national drink, were then offered to thq leading Maoris, by whom the contents were swallowed with mirth-provoking grimaces. The Maoris then danced a number of. hakas, war dances, and pois in first-class style, and the Fijians gave exhibitions of their fan and club dances. Into the latter, which concludes with a ferocious combat with Ihe clubs, as tlie result of which first oneside and- then the other, and- finally- both, lie prostrate on the field, much humorous byplay was imported, some «f the Maoris entering immediately into the spirit of the joke, and adding touches of their oWn. Finally, the members of both races squatted in company on the ground, and the Fijians sung some of their native songs. The performances as a whole were most' pictufesque and

Lieutenant Bentley has drawn up the pfograWme of the military tatto.’ which he suggests might be held ill the sports

ground on Friday evening next. It is proposed that all the visiting bands shall take part, and the co-operation of the Maoris and Fijians will be sought, and also that of the cadets in camp and ■ number of Volunteers. Messrs. James Pain and Sons, of London, will supply fireworks to assist in making the effect as interesting as possible. The works in the British section of tha art gallery are still being disposed of at satisfactory prices. The most important transaction recently has been the dis(H>sal of Mr. W. B. Leader’s £6OO oil painting, “ Southward from Surrey’s Pleasant Hills,’’ to Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, cf Wellington. The executive of the Canterbury Band of Hope Union have arranged to hold tha annual Easter Monday demonstration in the Exhibition grounds. The demonstration. which usually takes the form of a picnic, combined with sports for children, will be held in the portion of the Exhibition grounds west of the sports grounds. As the annual conference of temperance societies is held in Christchurch at Easter it is expected that the demonstration, particularly on account of the Exhibition, will be the largest ever witnessed.