THE GOVERNOR'S CRUISE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 552, 6 July 1909, Page 7

THE GOVERNOR'S CRUISE.

■: '■:.'._■>!' *y (iy Telegraph.—Presa Association.) ' /- ;';>-;';■;■■.'• Wy'Z, '■■"- ;: ' ■:''■-••/': ■ ■ Auckland, July 6V/ : •;v crnise'of his Excellency the Governor, / ; ' : V I/qtd:.Pilank6t,'7iil ;/(Monger to ; a;conclusion thls/mornlng, ■■.;■ .to 'Auckland v. jharbotir • after an absence .ef ; eighteen toft, >^;- : :di^gyhi«h;.Bhd>i«ited < "B*toteiJgii : Mang«ia;' •V ;Aii'(>iij" aad; AitdtakiV isuail steatood about 4000 ; Fine weather was experienced except //;'! ! oiC ; .tiie .l«o/:<iay\ at BdWtonga, /when -rlin .-:•-'•.MiKdlSat «lan«d 'tho. festivities. : Captain • ; fistf..o. Da poste'asd his officers inado life ..•.■'''■'■M^"tm»blp'ia<lii't'^JoyttH«j:aiid"'the:i«lflid -'.V.people'everywhere gara his ' Excellency • an ." *ntii««i*sHo : 'wceottori.-,';Colonel Gudgeon,; ;-,: CMW) the wtiriflg Kosldent Commissioner, ; ./acted. a*:cicefoa<J .white the'ship was .in the ; ftttdhis tlfiiqtf* knowledge of the'.Msori and his onistoms'enabled the Gover- ;■ tie.'.visitors to appreciate much that ' Vwould have otherwise passed-unobserved.: ; . , ':A«tfklaßd Wflfl left On' June 17. and RaroVtengft MSieached Ott-Jtino 24/ but/ as the fruit by the Auckland ■:•:■'■'. ateimer, and wwa not quite prepaittd to ro- / v " coiv«,the Goverflor, it was decided to go oil ;.; to..the tbr«:other islands fa the itinerary, V :'.-■: arid' : ;worlJ back to B^rofcohjja;'■'';Roughly, the ; Vdist&aeo between each of the ialahds touched: ".":'- : ' at:Ste>,lSO; miles, and the;programme was ' : 'Z irriflgiMiw: that'tlie' ship steamed/ai sight ,• ' aßd<4rriVed, at the selected island at day- . /'breAkVa gun being' fired to ,let the natives : v.- know that tl» Governor, whom they had beefl. . : expeetlDE. for 'some .time, had arrived. ' Interested. ■-.; .Tbe)CHallenger is the biggest warship that ■' has '.visited -these Waters, .and -she. excited ; ;. ;; keeri" l intovestVanieng ■ tbeVtotivoSi Whilo V at iWotonga:(the ehiel island in -the group) //-.•.'■ ;lit;/up! with electric lightj : as.- the , ; /,,; British;: warships were' during fleet; week.in : ! i .'Auckland, and a. display ; was. made 'With the : : ' seaiohlights;'- From Jhe Water/one cOold hcaif .the:'shouts; of applause on .shore,/ What to puzzle *he natives''more than ahy- ';' f-thijig'.'was that five/ hundred men could -find • ' Vrom-.to'livo in .the. ship. "Exevexe He tini ■ •■ :0 . What a .crowd of; '■ /'/ /merii")- Was their'., long-drawn ~'exclamation . v •■■ of /whea told the /number of* the ;- ; ,.'_:cr6w>;:;;- : ;;.;;;'i/i;..; : ''^:;,;.^'".:/.;;:; ZZ. :.' 'V' ;'.''.'..'. :;;TbC/trip, upj/.whichHook: seven days, was' ■^\'-'''\in'ad6'.^der..'easy;!Bt^m ) vbui'.':\the'::--reiiuih journey -was done in Record .time, four day» ; ;.fifteen /hours,.;, an 'average speed;' of fifteen :;;kn'o'ts : being maintained. On Saturday a' full- ,-.': •speed;trial;took,'plaOeV tb tost lomo MOdificatibnsVin -the' consflfflptiohVoF "fuel;'-.;' •^ r: -v.''J.''- : '>V;/i:'-; ■ ; '":.VJ( r *ießs' 'c6mrhah'loallon^'"-'.: : . - .."/■•":•'" y : On Sunday; morning, at; half-past .one, the .'; ■ Bhip.''-gdt ;•■ into .1 wireless cbminttuication with ' '. the Encounter, now; on' her way to. Auckland. ; The.'nrst signals were received at a distance .; of.'lUßo] miles,' and .the two; boats; kept in.' '"! ; vtoubK" > froia: : 'tlien'.'onward';\''.By means ,ot this ;:;, linkJ.the.Obttllenger .spoko with Sydney, and .a'-miMsage/Came'.'through;from''...the admiral r . '^ : F?;Bp]t; who'isin charge'of the Challenger's .'.';'. ; "wireless,'' isan enthusiast in tbisinterestZ-~ ing^hranoh : of -the >erviee: Z : :. Z' : ' -;The day after. arrivingfat the group (June ; ;;23(C00k Island;time; June; 24 New ; Zealand 1 ';' time) , . : ''was spent.at Mangaia; .next day at ; ■;; Atiou/;the day • followiaa at: Aitutakl; and ;.. Rardtoijea was;;oaeo; mbre 'reaohed;on Snn» ;V:>.day;vJweek, ,"the'.'reception..taking place ''next ;;3d4K/ The festivities.'at each island included ;';;.V'native';, dances,- Speeches, '-of vfoodj; mats,■ spears,; hatis,'' and curios. \ The ; ; glarioflfl: climate,;,the luxurious vegetation; ■ thevhappv,veosy-going islanders,;';and';;the \.j ■ijibyyty"; of the whole thing appealed to people : -'-■.■■ whoi"had, jiist «omo : aip. from : 'wintry,. JJew- ;;; .i'Ze^lahd,-'.ahd^altOUflh'of romahce ;wa« lent •'■':./r,by-' # the';faot.'rih^ miles aWay, we were-still among Maoris, who' ' - 1 100k 1 ." just like our .own' Maoris,' call them- -' ■' selvesj-.MaorisJ»ln'. ■ fact "tho" JJaoris—and '■ :almost, identically the : same language, 1 ' ■" Jf or." the Cook, Islands were one "of the resting ;; ;;:-placea.:ih;that mysterious from'the "..■;; half; mythical 'Hawaiki. - }:'■.'.'■' v - , ; ; -;; ■ , >'&'r;£i!!l';^^

Z'Z' At.-Mangaia, abcarty welcome wasoxterrded . ,-byi. Major j;.\,T.' the -Resident Agent; ; '■;.;•".' Frprt;the-landing-place to'the Government, In Z Buildings Natives .ward formed up in two .: linp'si'shoutlngand waving a'Welcome to their ■';-;.'■ distinguished visitor.;- 1 As his Excolloncy and '';. ''"-^thei'j strangers, 'marched.;jjp. tho.i ayen.ue , v -;.'.;thei. gaily-dressed, . flower-bedecked ;■ Maorie r> : gave ; 'cheer after'cheer in,.their'.broken'Eng- .;•; ■ 'V'Bsh^. l, Hip:Hin.,Ho6ro;.?. , ,'/,T£e Cook Islander r ''Hooray.!': : ; There';are.,-1560. Na- ; tivesand six whites on the. island, and every-. : , -■-..; bodyjibut-the -halt ; and maimed : ;seemed,?tb ( -:> : ',/n'aWcome down 'to^the'gala. 'ZZ-ZZ. Z~'/ : 'Z . r; ;;.:MalorL ; arga,;.wearing ..tnedal"~in his:,vourigerdayß : he helped.to, :,-; < scbu'r. the country round/Lake Waikaremoaha , '.after,;Te; a cordial address - of. ■ welcome to his,Excollency and the officers of ;.;the: Several.of theolders of the /' 'tHbe, followed and the distinguished -■•'.■'. sfranger of their personal regard and 'their :-;;; loyalty,to the British flag.. L- : a ;brief reply Excellency explained -that he bad: now visited the Dominion from ',■'. the. gloomy, cold islands among the mist' and .;',-'•'raidin the far south;to the,6unny,isles of. tho '••''■'• seas; where it-was-always, summer. He; ex-. "-■:: pressed his regret.that:the people,:were. to '■'■■■ lose;CoIonel Gudgeon, and commended Mr. > ; Smith to. them '«s "a'Very'keen the '■'■ mOSthonest. man Ihave ever met,'.''

wl V OfTfirings of tho;Peophv:.;;;"; : ;;, ..After-being'entertained'at;luncheon, bis , >Excellency,went oiit;to receive: the:.oSermgß ■ Z ofi'iheipcople.:- In a long row in the garden -j jw«?o-piles of mate,ispears, bananas, kitß : ..'.of ;: oranges, vamsjlarosjkuniaras, rolls of tappa, ;-, jimndryi;pigs,;.trussed up or tethefed ;by • the '■ back leg, ,twd, ; black and white kids, and One : ;forl6rn<hen whichsquawked most dismally. iW ~ donors of these multifarious gifts eiplairied ', -,Meir}nature,'and.gayethe'lu'story,of.,the an- -, cient:spears, .axes', etc., among; the presenta-: . '■'■ 'His" ExceJloncy.chattedto the-white ; residents, -six-in,number, arid had tho princi-', 'pal'ohiefs presented to him, among the'num-' •Mr-being John Ariki (wearing the Duke of York's, gold-medal given to.himontho ocoa- ■:•■•:-■ sion>6f the 'Royal visit to New Zealand), ;' NiSroa Ariki, and the evergreen old warrior,' •: llifittgitangi,' better known as ''Mulliga-, ; tawny.'- After lunch the ship's band, under; ; -Baiidmaster;,Barnott; landed and played 'in ,;•; the 7 Village /square., /.The -Nativos . 'gathered .;••; round j;■ complotely: f asoffi atdd.'. At a bout. 4 o.'ckek'his •Exceljehoy and the other guests were'entortainedat'afternoon tea at the Mis6ioi Hnnse by tho Pvev. Bond James and his - ,';,w'ife,',th6..onjy:;white lady on the island, and :.,:,.then ev'ei'ybbdis:.mads:.a;.m6v6 for;the''shore, ./followed by the populace. Strings of Natives; .:--.; with-,the■,,presents;and moro gifts of fruit ■;,, sluhg-on ipoles.; carried .'.on', the'' shoulders of '■'■', ijifo/men.like.that old Biblical picture of the ;-.. meai.wbo went to spy, out the promised land, ;.. :aM,returned;W)tb some.of;tho fruits to'-ebn- ' Viflce the rest of .the tribe, filled up the waitZing'oatamararis, which once mote snd over the /edge of the reefs and paddled off-to the ship. /'Then/the' party said; a reluotant good-bye to .. ■;' merry Mangaia, and 'steamed /away north for ■ - the-island of Atiou. ,'':..-' ■; ...■ v ' Trom Mangaia: : tho party {went to Ation, . thence/to Aitutaki,.and afterwards to Raro- :; tonga; ; His; Excellency ;.was cordially received: and/hospitably entertainod/at each island, and at Rarotonga ;a ball was given :/i'n-/honour of the visit, by Queen Makla. The -' : / /also;/ entertained 'by Colonel ■Gudgeon, and, iri'proposihg the health of ,the-.host, tho.Governor paid a high tribute . . tb -the excellent/services of the retiring Com- -'■' missioner. ;A great/many/ gifts',', principally , matsi' were presented; to the Governor at • each of tile islands visited.: . :