Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 18 July 1895, Page 3

Notes and Events.

Our« Premier appears to have blossomed forth as an author, as he tnodeatly placed a paper on the table .' . of the House, containing 108 pages, %, and entitled " Pakeha and Maori," being a narrative of his trip through the Native Districts of the North Island. He may not have written ifc r T)ijf,he. takes the responsibility of it^C.l"flft a State Paper it appears unique, as poetry is here and there introduced: culled from Wordsworth and Bracken. The author, whoever he may be makes the assertion that the Maoris 44 ia times past sailed from distant * seas in t&Sirfude canoes and made ' their way* tnrer the stormy ocean , "braving fUfficutties and dangers in ".order to \ plant themselves on the ' • • shores ofi New' Zealand." It is a ,vdigr greif question whether these people set out with any aefined purpose, as how would they knowßfeSff^: Zealand ? They got herefiff llW©iable, but quite by ttCciottjiMKluoky for them too, or thev imicnt now have been populating the ■' Sou them pole. Their arrival her : e ft a pretty illustration of whsft luck* some people have in lettipg tbinga drift.

There are many strange incidents recorded. On the Wairmarino Block the party chanced upon a free ■eleebOT ; -«nd his family, who had arrived from Sandon the previous day .and' pitched their tent by the hillside;. The wife and mother advanced to the trap and aßked if she had i the honour of addressing the Premier. Receiving an affirmative answer she wished to know if it werq ; true $at/ the first woman to settle upon ; any block received a bonus of seven acres of land, as she waa- the pioneer woman upon this block. Mr Seddon replied that there was no iuch regulation.

The author, can be softened by a good feed as well as any other man. At one place a capital lunch was provi&etf— Tftde report. The Native wotnin wero untiring in their efforts to makii everything pass off well. Over' two hundred sat down, and, considering the short notice, it is nMrrctfoSfc fy% '' *&ay oould have prepared sjucF a repast, and it went toihow tHairthe Native lady (still repUfci)' can on such oecassions rise equal -to 1 her European sister.

In all oases however the comparison made between the Natives an 3 their sisters, cousins and aunts of European parentage is not so complimentary, as we find the Premftr felling a meeting that " I did sa^; tend I again repeat, that it would be l>etter for the Native race

if . thlj^W^uld have less dogs and pay gj^jjeyl attention to their off--*-spring^*beiP'Ohildren." Settlers in the immediate neighbourhood of

Natives will appreciate the remaik about less dogs.

At "SViiakatane, Hiuinui Apanui welcoD^'ecßtne Premier and showed a knowledge 9 <ft greek, if, and we hardly M 6 to doubt, the report is accurate; jfiffter using some high flown language the speaker conj^nned^Mlrfiilfe 18 Wbhe rbut yourself, for you are the alpha, and omega." No IMB *Itogither without ffei* I* Hl£W a »* «WA«Bf it

we find that after many speeches of welcome, in which a pong Was introduced, he desired time to collect his thoughts, and this is how he managed it. The Premier : " I was so very pleased with the song of welcome with which you greeted me that I would like to have it in my ears before t commence to speak/ Tamati Waaka then repeated the song of welcome !" After that the Maoris got 4£ pages of talk. We recommend the persual of the Paper, and shall again refer to it. The Premier no doubt worked hard on this trip and showed plenty of pluck and endurance, qualities all admire.