Maori Battalion Visits Exhibition

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 3, 29 December 1939, Page 6

Maori Battalion Visits Exhibition

Guard of Honour It has been a very busy week, but Xmas —like prosperity and death—lurks around the corner. The event of the week for the Battalion was the visit to the Exhibition on Thursday, as Guard of Honour to the Ministerial representatives at the Maori Court. Keyed up for the occasion, the boys swung into their march with eclair, “heads up, chins in, and arms swinging in unison, belt-high, front and rear.” For once, even Sergeant Rennie was, to use a classic phrase, “quite happy about it.” As you were! We mean overjoyed. For once, too, every man looked straight to his frontquite an achievement, when it is taken into con- , sideration that numerous dusky maids, so fair (so to speak), with flashing eyes, pregnant with promise of great things to come, tried to inveigle their gaze from the point fixed for the i wooden stare of the good soldierthe I head of the man in front.

The work of the haka party, capably and ferociously led by Lieut.' Rhetu Herohia, and Private Amokau, proved a tremendous hit.

The boys enjoyed themselves immensely, and their thanks are due to those who made the day such a memorable one —first and foremost to the Ngati-Pukeko people, who so generously fed them, to Sir Apirana Ngata, to all the people who entertained them and the many Exhibition authorities who extended them various courtesies and privileges.

The special wind-up dance, too, was

a great affair. It was lovely to be free to go dreamily and smoothly through, a series of movements, and to get out of step and not have your head roared off by sergeants who care not for languid grace and hanker not after syncopation.