Pageant of Empire.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 10, 6 September 1911, Page 60

Pageant of Empire.

CLOSE OF NEW ZEALAND SECTION. A CONSPICUOUS SUCCESS. (Fruiii Our Lady Correspondent.) LONDON, .July 28. The closing performances of the overseas sections of the Pageant of Empire took place last week at the Crystal Palace, and very gnat credit is due to those who helped to make the r l reaty of Waitangi—the New Zealand contribution —the undoubted success it v. as. Il was originally intended that the Jaoris who are now visiting this country Jicidd take a part and dance a haka at its termination, but the fates Hiled otherwise (when the Maoris took up quarters at the White City) and it w-is left to a faithful band ot New Zealanders to carry the scene through. To the uninitiated, however, the principal interest consisted in the fact that alone amongst the scenes which comprised this I ortion of the pageant all the leading pa.its were taken by the direct descendants of the men who acted in the original drama. Thus the part of Mr Busby, the first British resident in New /(‘aland, who, by the way lies buried in Norwood cemetery, was taken by his grandson, Mr Ila! Williams, the wellknown engineer. The part of the Rev. Henry Williams, who was chiefly instrumental in bringing the Maori chiefs into lint*, soothing their suspicion and removing their difficulties, was taken by his great grandson, the Rev. Keith Williams, who is destined shortly to join the Maori Mission, and so follow in his ancestor’s footsteps, while the part of his son Edward Marsh Williams, prince amo.ngst Maori scholars and afterwards a judge of the Native Lands Court, was in the hands of his grandson, Mr Carleton Williams. Yet again the part of Mr Kemp, another early settler in the Bay of Islands, the first seat of Government. was taken by his grandson, Mr Oswald Williams, wlfo is studying medicine at Cains College, Cambridge. Cap-

tain Hobson, who represented the Queen on that occasion was impersonated by C ipia in Asa Whitney, of Auckland. Certainly no other of the overseas s< nes boasted such an interesting personnel. or one so closely connected with •flu* ojiginal m-tors. The absence of the "Maoris robbed the scene of a great part of its pieturesqueness, but it was well and worthily acted, and served to bring home to the spectators the event which gave to the British Crown one of its fairest jewels—New Zealand. Mr Pani Chamberlain, the young Maori adopted son of Mr Chamberlain ( hamberiain. of Dunedin (who was also in -the scene) took the part of Hone Heke in the Treaty of Waitangi, and in the Masque Imperial, he acted as page, to Miss Russell, of Hawke’s Bay, who was Queen of Zealand. Mrs Alington, of Canterbury, acted as Mistress of Robes of the New Zealand scu t ions, and in the Masque, was Queen of East Africa. 'Tim following New Zealanders also took part in the Treaty of Waitangi, or the Masque Imperial: Miss Russell (Queen of New Zealand nnd sometimes Biitannia), .Mrs. Kilgour, Miss Tolhausen, Mrs. Boyle. Miss Nellie lb ■<•< Miss Handyside. Miss Bealoy, Miss R. Melton. Miss Irvine, Miss Stuart Mentcith, Miss H Carlton Williams, Miss R. Hall Jones, Miss R. Beard Miss Haise, Miss Carr, Miss Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Boys, Miss Hastings

Bridge, Mrs. A. D. Houston, Miss Rutherford, Miss Ethel Rutherford, Miss B. Russell, Miss V. Russell, Miss Beard, Miss D. Beard, Miss Sutherland, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Miss D. Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Warnock, Mrs. J. Hislop, Miss Evans, Mrs. Reece, Miss Herrish, Miss V. Herrish, Mrs. Henry Reynolds, Miss Skeet, Miss Levon, Miss I. de Bohn, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Craig-Lang, Mrs. H. Montague Nelson, Mrs. Caldow, Miss Chepple, Miss B. Kennaway, Madame Betty Brooke, Mrs. Bethel, Mrs Beetham, Mrs. Palairet, Miss A. L. Bartleman,Miss Izard, Mrs. Gillies, Miss Burne, Miss Kennaway, Miss Acheson, Miss McLean, Miss E. Taylor. Mrs. Connor, Miss Ethel James, Miss Rutherford. Mrs. Murray, Miss Ward, Mrs. Whitney, Mrs. Crewe.