MAKETU.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 135, 17 December 1873, Page 3

MAKETU.

(mo si or.u own cokhesi'OKdest, ) Decomber 11. Oi h no» ly t*.acted 51.P.C. held a social gatlieriog iiore the other day. At bis invitation a few gentlemen eat dawn to dinner at the Makotu hotel on tho evening iu question, where every, thing, as may he presumed, was prepared in Me Haigh’s best stylo. The room was tastefully decorated with flaps, evergreens, and flowers —tho hitter uf wiii 'ls, I think, Mr llaigls, can boast of having the heat collection in Makotu ; and bo deserves it, lor ho has taken a great deal of trouble with his garden, which is much admired by all visitors to Mokctu. But to use a legal phmHo, I am “ travelling out of the record.” After the solids wore disposed of (amongst which 1 n;u:.t especially mention tho “ mince jucs ’ ), Capf-am Morris’s health was proposed by Mr Tiercy, who iu doing so stated that ho had been one of his (Captain Morri&C) staunchest opp.meats at tho late election, but that was no reason why ho should not meet him socially after tho tic.-i ion was terminated. I cannot give Mr Picrcy’a speech in full for various reasons, but 1 must not omit to mention how highly ho spoke of Mr Butt, Mr Wi igley’s agent in Makotu. Iu ivp'y, Captain Morris remarked that the reason he had called a few gouilotnon together on this occasion was that ho had been uuabio to visit this uistiict prior to the election, audio show that he did not entirely ignore Makctu bo hud aokvd u« to meet him sociably. Ho was perfectly well aware (and so were wo) that ho could do nothing for in in the Provincial Council, but ho hoped at some fuiuio time to represent us iu the larger house, i.e. , tho General Assembly. After several other toasts, and a few songs, tho mooting quietly adjourned at about II o’clock. In company with two other gentlemen, I visited the native school yesterday afternoon, and I con* aider that the master and his lady deserve very groat credit for the progress tho children havo made. As regards the female children, tho sewing, the crochet, the knitting, and tho bead work was surprising, and certainly some of their work you could scarcely distinguish from machine stitching. 1 opine Mrs lludman deserves groat credit; for tho exertions she has made ; and tho children also merit great praise for the way they have attended to their instructors. Again, tho reading, writing, and tho arithmetical part of their schooling was very praiseworthy. There were not many scholars present—only twenty, Th o gentlemen who accompanied tno were very much surprised at the advanced stato of some o*f these email children. Tiio putatoe crop in this district will, I think, turn out remarkably well ; hut if it is true, aa I have been informed, that, the resident natives bar® obtain ed advances on their wheat, I am much afraid that at the harvest there will be many shortcomings. Our Maori population is at present rather sparse, most of tho females having gone to Mourca to a “ tangihanga” for I’ahapa, tho beloved wife of Hapof.a To Ptikuru ; and several of our males have gone to Ohinemutu desiring an interview with the Honorable the Native Minister.