THE NATIVE BALL AT THE THAMES.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 310, 6 April 1878, Page 4

THE NATIVE BALL AT THE THAMES.

During his Excellency the Governor and his suite’s visit to the Thames, the Maori residents gave a ball to him. It was entirely their own affair, and although they were most liberal in the distribution of invitations, they firmly but politely insisted on preserving their positions as generous hosts andhostesses. There was little characteristic about the ball except the excellent taste in which the Maori ladies and gentlemen were dressed. They were good dancers, thoroughly up ia ball-room etiquette, and were exceedingly proud of the position which they occupied. All the visitors, including his Excellency and suite, the Ministers, and the officers ot the Nymphe, heartily enjoyed themselves up to a late hour in the morning. The Advertiser is informed that the Thames natives had been looking forward to the display for a long time, and they had been most industrious in preparing themselves for the dancing and other etiquette of the bull-room. One Maori lady who occupied a prominent part in the affair, deserves credit lor the trouble she took in the tuition of her friends. For five months, some time was devoted every day to practising the figures of the quadrille, and in consequence all the Maori ladies were thoroughly au fait. For the most part, however, their partners were puzzled in their endeavours to pour **' soft nothings” into the ears of their dusky companions, but all seemed to enjoy themselves nevertheless. It is the first ball under Maori auspices in New Zealand, and none more enjoyable has ever taken place. A correspondent to the same paper writes :—“ As I was skirmishing round the Academy of Music last night, before the bail commenced, I was highly amused to see several dusky beauties making use of the timber yard as dressing rooms, from whence they emerged in gorgeous and magnificent attire. They very quietly disrobed themselves of their blankets and old duds, and stowed them away beneath the stacks of timber ready to be resumed after they were full up of tripping it on the light fantastic toe.” .