"KIA ORA!"

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 554, 8 July 1909, Page 2

"KIA ORA!"

MAORIS FOR NEW YORK HIPPODROME. ■ "Kia Oral Ea Ora I" were the final words -..'■ flung from the deck of; the. Manapouri: at:; miduay "yesterday by the- big tronpo. _.of ■ Maoris who aro to cross tho big sea of Kiwa ■ to entertain , pleasure-sated New Yorkers.'/' : ever craving tho unusual-—the ; unicjuo,. 1t:,..was ,not an occasion of joy—far' trom ,it. '■ Tho Blaori, is intensely Vemotional, at least :/ he can summon up'all tho oridences of deep .■ emotion- at .will,: though it never lasts, long. ~ It is a great thine for these Natives to leave/ . ,Ne'w/Zoalaad.s:Most: of them /.have ■neverbeen; beyond-'tho bounds of the Rbtorua dis- ' if ict, a fev)' to Auckland, perhaps, and iri-bnp .- or ,tvro instances to Wellington when Parliament, was in ; session,'but to'go to America— v . : to New York—was something not dreamt of' in their philosophy.' Naturally , the departure ;/. from the famihar hapus of '.tho north:threw.'<>.. tho whole district .into a.'state' bf feverish'/ / oxcitomont, and the crowd that assembled at the ltotorua station" to bid themgbod-byp:' j. was'the greatest, siuee the visit of the Duko ■' .of York, • >:,;' , •.vV:^;- ,: -. t\ :■]■■ ■'.'The troUpej wJijcli are under'engogoment to ~ appear at the Hippodrome at New' York forv.V. nine mouths, number 40 all told—24 men and./ .16. women—all' of .the■■;■ Arawa tribe,: ..froni; Ohipeaiutuand its vicinity. They'were oti-■.' - gaged/by Mr. ,W. M'Bride (representative , ,, of the Hippodrome) the uianagementof which' ; recoivc.d the: suggestion- from' the: Americaii: ;' pressmen who 'Visited Auckland with tl(e. fleet ;; last- year. :'The .Natives, : were'all-'carerullyV . selected by a committee presided ov,cr' by; the -; Rev. Mr. -Bennett;;-and will be' represented by Mr.. W. Faniier Whyto (lata subi-editer ' pf '■ the "New Zealand Herald,' ,, Auckland), At the I 'conclusion.of tho,season in New York ' it is nrobable»*that, r ; w;tfr theebnsont-of the; ! Maons,, the troupe {will go to /London|-and give further;expositions of , -, , tbeir, danceSt •:\ Eakas, and customsvtbere.-^'-;:' ,1 '>■■'; ''' ; " ,!; i; * ,:, V Maoris; havios-a ; ;<Jeep':: love , and''revorefico' , ; ■ fon.theaif '.conMtty—theKJvisino trace/Gfrthe ~ Nomad.'.inV their. make-Bp.-,:-;Th'Se;'waiß .^almost , '; painfully apparent ..for, some j time .'before 'the ' Manapoviri left.,the wharf yesterday. ' A few;, of highl. , ' spirits, but the ejdprs looked either very Ead ' or ''blubbered''' putriglit..; Onchefty; young ■• - chapand hiepistor, , inhvhose veins ran tha ' ■ blood: of .great warriors of a half-fo-rgotteiiV ■;•■, past.vehpwed remarkable emotion. , Just , foro the bp a t ' e ft *' 10 ' ?* a rf J'o'fflg : mQa '■' wont so f*r as to got his bag off the.boat, de* •: olaring ilirough: a. torroiit. of hot ,■ would not v ,go. VHp: was, latcd'■■with'. , and cajoled by.'.liisi friends, until he: returhe'd .to.,t!io dodc,i where-lu'a sister, . sobbing, vcheriiently, fell on his. breast, in. a convulsion'" of' grief. ;> Tlie , pwsonco- _of.;' i.-'.-. crowd dfi •some ;490 or 500 was-as libthillg to, ; ■these- children of Nature. Hicy were '>. leaving . the'■;loved,,'MaqrilaricU and, the,:: tearß hiiub* flow.' -Then stepped forward.from the,crowd ' at the foot .of ..tho.gangway .tlie'.oid grizzled ■ • and.tattooed-'chief Akuhata Kiharoa,, chief of - tlie Ngati Whalianp (Arawa).: tribe, hale and ■ hearty/for all'; his ■;82 .years.-... In the., euphonious' language.of his people, he exhorted them , onol and ' all.' never to ..forget- , tlieir motherland,- and those 'that < ; loved , thon' in .the krangos' of: tho.: Borfe. /.They; • "must \ behave ' and, conduct 'tliemeelyes, m suoli a manner :eo that..tlie.proud naino or .■. the, Arawas would not.be iulfied. ■ The .teaiy.. stricken -young ;man .; replied briefly .to ■. the ■- octogenaTiah'eUveroe,.. out aU, that..coiil.Q Dβ. i heard in. his broken spoech final--"Kia oral.. Kia oral" .\'-." >/!■■■ \'! ■',/,''- ; '. ; :. • : \ Thereafter, some' of the forty plucked up enough epurigo. to''do , the. old danco. begia"Kanvate, kariiate, kia ora, etc!" .-' ; Then a* tlie .boat moved, out into tho harbour, the tears began to flo\y .again, .and tho vividly-coloured'.'kerchiefs ;wero as often , applied to:: etroamihg.: eyes--'as', they; pro, fluttered in. the.-air.:- , '.. ; ■.'■■..:i M -.'-v.':;.-:.''< .V ■ Among those present:to 'bid. tno/Arawas farewell were five raombora of.', the committee (who camoall the way from Ohinemuta ■-.. to see their friends off), tho Hpn. Jas. Carroll (Acting-Premier), and .tho Hon. J. A- ;, Millar.- . ' ■-.-■. -V , "'■ .::.:/■ :■■;'■:.■■'■■• ■':■■