THE ROYAL VISIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 132, 14 June 1901, Page 2

THE ROYAL VISIT.

OFF TO ROTORUA.

ENTHUSIASTIC GREETINGS.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, last night. The Royal party entraiued at Auckland under auspicious circumstauces. The weather was fine, though cloudy. As the Royal carriage approached tho station tho band played tho National Anthem, and the spectators in and beyond the barriers cheered heartily. Tho pilot engine, carrying a number of guests of the Government, press corrcspondents, and servants of Royalty, started fifteen minutes in advance. At tho Auckland station a bouquet was presented to the Duchess by Miss Alice Rimmer, on behalf of the Young Helpers’ League. THE CARRIAGES. Tho railway arrangements are excellent. All accompanying the Royalties were comfortably provided for in every essential. The disposition of tho party was as follows: —

In the first carriago were the Ministerial party, consisting of tho Premier, Mrs Seddou, Miss Scddon, Miss Ruby Scddon, aud Stewart Seddou, Hon. J. G. Ward, Vincent Ward and Miss Ellon Ward, Hon. Mills and Mrs Mills, Hon. J. McGowan.

Second carriage: His Excelloncy tho Governor, with Captain Alexander, private secretary, Captains Boscowon and Hill-Trevor, A.D.C. Tho third carriage contained a beautiful Royal suite of appointmonts exclusively for tho use of the Royal party. In tho noxt carriago tho membors of tho Royal household and staff were seated.

ALONG THE ROUTE.

All along the route townspeople and outlying settlors lined up at the stations and wherever there was a settlement, and gave British cheers as tho train passed. The Maoris were in no way behind in this. At tho first stopping place the Maori men, women aud children assembled, and, led by a chief, performed an impromptu haka on a small scale, and having expressed in Maori their loyalty and lovo to the throne “ For over ! for over 1 for ever ! ’’ gavo three hearty cheers in British fashion, “ hurrahing ’’ with a lustiness that could not well bo exceeded. AT FRANKTON.

At Frankton Junction, the train halted for half an hour for refreshments. When tho Royalties alighted, there was an ovation. They appeared, and the Mayor was introduced to tho Ducal party by Mr Seddou. AT HAMILTON. At Hamilton, 300 school-children, oach holding banners, sang tho National Anthem. A multitude of snap-shotters took in all the details from every possiblo point of view. The visitors on the train woro provided with luncheon, laid out in tho goods-shed. HEAVY RAIN. Nothing of importance occurred between Frankton and Rotorua, save that the weathor broke, and au unpleasant drizzle fell, subsequently increasing to drenching rain, which lasted throughout the night, and which marred the proceedings seriously. ARRIVAL AT ROTORUA. As the Royal train reached tho Rotorua platform a perfect hullaballoo greeted the visitors. This was tho genial, but noisy welcome of ths assembled tribes of the North Island, numbering 4000 in all. “ King ” Mabuta’s people (tho Lower Waikatos) wore not represented excopt by a few individuals who were unofficially present. When the train pulled up, Major Mair, who is in charge of the Maori camp, Captain Turner, Chairman of the Town Council, and several leading chiefs in Native costume, camo forward, and tho Governor introduced Captain Turner, tho two chiefs of the Aroha tribe, To Heuhou •and Te Kopa Rangipuawhe to their Highnesses. Miss Dorothy Turner presented the Duchess with a fine bouquet. Meanwhile tho Maoris about tho platform, in Native and European costumo, sang songs of welcome and danced. Men waved tawhas and spears, and the women waved branches of greenery, and all were frantic in their joy. There was a mounted escort of Wairarapa Rifles (Maori), and Europoan volunteers from Rotorua, To Puke, Whakatane, and Rotorua.

The rain and approaching darkness marred the effect, and their Highnesses, without delay, were driven to the Grand Hotel, accompanied by a military escort. The “gathering of tho clans” was unique, and of unusual significance, for assembled together were men who in but comparatively recent times fought against each other, or fought with each other against Government forces.

Hoary-headed, gnarled and picturesque looking warriors who had fought against the British from 1845 to 1871 now assembled to welcome the heir to the Crown against which they had levelled all their hatred, and tho subjects of which they had often ruthlessly slaughtered. Here, amongst this frantically joyous’ assemblage, which represented the old state of things and the now in combination, their Royalties were enabled to understand at a glance the fierce savagery of the earlier settlement days, and of the rehellion and the blessings which the treaty of Waitangi and the subsequent beneficent rule had brought about. Fierce-looking warriors brandishod spears and battle-axes, in joyous greeting to the Duke and Duchess. Mingled with the Natives were gentlemen clad in wellcut, fashionable, up-to-date garments, surmounted by bell-toppers, and Native women, fat, sleek, and happy in their now peaceful lives. Then, some of the onco ferocious Hau-haus, who had participated in the brutal murder of Volkuer, of Opotiki, and in the Poverty Bay massacre, were now eager to proclaim to tho HeirApparent their affection and devotion to the Crown—for ever, for over, for ever, ako, akc, ako, closed every Maori loyal exclamation.

NATIVE ADDRESS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) Rotorua, last night. The following address was presented to the Duke by tho natives assembled at Rotorua :

“ Weloome, welcome, welcome, 0 son, " to these isles! Aotearoa and To.Waipu- ’ nanau ; welcome to Maoriland, and wel- , come thou who art of the blood, the , emblem of the mana and majesty of the ' Empire under whose benign rule we are proud to abide. O Royal daughter of ' Princes, joined to him who is son of our lord the King, we likewiso greet you. We heard with our ears, and hoped’that we might see. Now we see with our eyes, . and rejoice that this thing has como to pass in our day and generation. This is a great day, a day that will live in tile memory of our race while God permits them existence. Yet it is a day of mourning. We mourn for the great Queen to to whom our fathers ceded by treaty sovereignty over these islands, who was guardian of our rights and liberties from that time until she slept with her fathers. We, humblest of her children,'alien in blood, yet kin by law and allegiance, mourn the loss of the Mother who sought good for high and low alike; who loved peace, that by peace her people might rise yet higher in greatness. She was. all that our fathers knew in their day. Her name is a gift they bequeathed to us ere they passed. Pass, O Mother, to thy rest with the mighty dead who went before thee. Welcome, welcome, welcome! In the name of the King, your father, we hail the new King in your person. He has succeeded to the Throne of the mother, to be our Chief, our Lord, our Sovereign. Here, in the presence of your Royal Highness, we renew our oath of allegiance. We confirm the acts of our fathers, who gave all to Queen Victoria and her successors. Hear, 0 ye peoples ! To-day we make a new treaty. New, yet old, inasmuch as we confirm the old, to which we but add expressions of continued loyalty from our generation, and pray that our sovereign and our white brethren may give us of thenstrength to live and thrive with them and , among them. Hear, 0 Prince 1 Hear 0 , Princess! from the far ends of tho earths, from the remote Hawaiki, across the great ]-

seas of kiwa, you have come to seo those lands and peoples ! It is well 1 For by so doing you have drawn closer tho bonds of love which doth knit us all togothor. Welcome aud farewell! farewell 1 since you must pass on. It is enough that wo havo seen. Wo wish you a safo return to our King and his Queen, from whose pvosenco you havo como to gladden our r > eyes in this most distant part of tho Empire.” THE DUKE’S ADRESS TO NATIVES. Tho Duke replied to tho address of welcome as follows :—“ To tho chief and • tribes of tho Isles of Aotearoa Waiponau. The warm words of welcomo which you havo spoken to tbo Princess aud myself have gladdened our hearts'. “ From tho far ends of tho earth, over

the]wide soasons, wo have boon sent by tho Great King, my father, to hear and behold in their own beautiful laud his children, tho Maoris. “ Tho Groat Queen whom your fathors knew and loved, and for whom you mourn with us, with all nations and races under tho mnna and Majesty of Empire, had bofovc sho passed to rest, desired us to visit hor peoplo across the seas, to tell of her gratitude for the aid of their brave young men in the cruol war into which sho who ever loved and worked for peaco had been driven. “ Proud and glad was tho Groat Queen also that tho sons of hor Maori children, cagor with lovo and loyalty, longed to . stand side by side with thoir brethren in tho field of battlo.

“ Tho King, my father, though his cup was full of sorrow and the parting with us his children but added to its bitterness, could not endure that hor wish should pass unfulfilled, and I come in his name and on his behalf to doclaro to you tho deep thankfulness of his lioart for your loving sympathy in his loss, and for tho noblo and tcudor words in which you spoko your lovo and rovorcnco for hor momory. The words of tho Maoris ara truo words, tho words of tho gonorous and chivalrous peoplo who nro ready to mako good with tho hands tho promiso of tho lips. “ To rcceivo your pledges of loyalty,

and to learn from mo that you havo renewed your oath of allogianco and confirmed tho act of your fathors who gave all to Queen Victoria and hor successors, will givo joy to my fathor’s heart, and will fill him with strength and courago for tho great work that lies boforo him. “ The heart of tho King is warm to his people in Now Zealand. Ho rejoices to see them dwell together in peaco and friendship, and prays that they may continue to bo united and so strengthen each other in the work of peace, and that they also may strive for tho common good and in aiding him to keep on, and may tho peoples under his sway be united. “ If our visit helps to that end we shall bo glad to count as naught tho sacrifices we havo made in order to see your chiefs and you face to faco in your boautiful country. Of our brief visit to Maoriland wo shall carry with us lasting memories of the loyalty and love aud generous kinduess of tho Maori people. “ May peace, prosperity, aud every blessing abide with you and yours for over.”

Tho Maoris then gavo a war chant and dispersed.