OLD TIME MAORI WEDDING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 985, 29 April 1911, Page 4

OLD TIME MAORI WEDDING.

An interesting report of a Mfioii wedding in the old military days is reproduced by the Wanganui Herald from the Evening Herald of January 22nd, 1869. The account is as follows :

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE. Yesterday was a day for Putiki long to be remembered in the annals of her history. The noble and valiant son of Governor Hunia was wedded to the fair and virtuous daughter of Captain Kepa. Father Basil, of Putiki, performed the interesting ceremony, and never did the reverend Father seem more weighed down with responsibility than when he gave “ the children his blessing.” Jericho, in “ The Man Made of Money,” could not have undergone a greater transformation when he began to pull bank notes from his heart than the rev. gentleman when he thought of how serious a thing a blessing is. Dare we make so sudden a transition as to speak of what the happy couple wore upon the occasion ? “ There is harm in nothing,” says the stoic —and the ladies would like to know. The bridegroom, in the morning, had on the costume of a gentleman of the early part of the century, but after breakfast it was changed for the handsome uniform of the kupapa cavalry—blue serge shirt tipped with red cuffs and collar, cord pants, and boots. The bride wore a train of white silk, trimmed with red and blue fringe, which looked exceedingly picturesque ; a petticoat of rich poult de soie, studded with white roses, resting on turbans of willow. The roses were emblematic of purity, and the willow, of the uncertainty of life in a time of war. Headdress ; bands of scarlet and velvet, with a goose feather at the side. The bridesmaids, of whom there were three, were dressed in the same “ground” as the bride, ornamented with a variety of colours which space will not permit us to particularise. The parents of the bride were never more joyful, exhibiting their satisfaction in very fantastic and very pleasant performances, which we admired greatly. The bride, after breakfast, took her seat at the piano, and put the company into roars of laughter by playing with fire and spirit, “I’m coming to bring you Peggy,” after which she made the party very mournful by giving the “ Lament of Tasso.” The wedding-cake deserves notice. It was made specially for the occasion—a basso-relievo of a pah surrounded by palisades, out of which rose a Norman castle, with a mai-mai on the top of each turret, thus showing the blending of the two races ; and in the front of the castle two Maori women performing a kunni-kunni. As the festivity was going on, an inicdent occurred which caused a great flutter among the bridesmaids. A native, called Kunakuna, rushed in among the company, and coming into collision with the table, upset nearly every glass, and spilt the liquor over the ladies’ dresses. The purport, we were informed, of Kunakuna’s speech was that Col. Whitmore had sent in an order that the Cavalry were to go out in halt an hour. The rev. father —who was very angry at so much loss, for it might have been given to the poor —said “Taihoa,” and in an instant there was a storm of taihoas, which reminded one very much of a House of Commons’ cheer, which is formed from a multitude of “hear, hears.” The glasses having been replenished—some from brandy, some from wine, a few from beer and one from lemonade —the hilarity became as great as ever. The minister gave the first toast, which was drunk with bumpers, each one saying, “ Kapai te wide ; tenakoe katoa,” meaning, " Well done the bride ; good morning all.” All went “ merry as a marriage bell ” until the benediction came; and a pilgrim before the shrine of his patron saint did not bend his head with more becoming reverence than was done by the whole of the company on this occasion. A very reverendlooking old Maori said Amen in good English, and the happy couple and the guests adjourned to the grounds outside, and were all strolling about or standing in little groups, when we looked at our watch and thought it time to return and “correct proofs.”