A DAY OUT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9337, 5 January 1909, Page 7

A DAY OUT.

AT A MAORI RACE MEETING. For some time before Christmas ' there had been, portentous signs of trouble for the Maori Christmas Day races at Orakei. Mysterious and contrary advertisement9*had assured bewildered, racegoers that the race meeting would and would not take place. Intending patrons were definitely told that an' eighteen penny fare would admit them to the course, and in the next, advertisement they were informed that if they set foot on the course on Boxing Day they would be prosecuted as trespassers.An interesting account of the sequel is given in the Herald report of the races. When racegoers went to catch the ferry steamer to |Orakei they were confronted '".by a remarkable notice which conveyed the information that the course . had been ploughed up—by whom it was not stated. Notwithstanding this depressing manifesto, large numbers went out anticipating some fnn. They were not altogether disappointed. The course had been ploughed np right enough. The situation wa earnestly discussed by many Maoris; nobody seemed to'be able to indicate the perpetrator of the fell deed, but the Maoris wh6 had gathered together for horse racing were not going to be stopped by a trifle like the want of a course. Some ingenious brown individuals pointed ont that the stretch of beach would do as a makeshift; and the joyful news that races were to be held was spread abroad. The first race started : There were horaes of all sorts—from the|l3-hand pony to the 17-hand horse that would have looked more at jiopae in a spring cart. There were also a few good ones in the motley lot. They went under the cliff to Start—about twentyfive of them—but they were thinned out. Three bolted off and had a race of their own; several dashed into the sea; two^ darted across a field and were seen : no more. Then a vicious little pony scratched at least three for all engagements with his hind hoofs in maxing room for himself. One horse started to browse so greedily that his rider could not get his head up"and was left at the post. They started —tfr some of them did. The field swept along in gallant style, some in the water and some out of it. A desperate finish ensued as the tea-tree winning post was neared. The tumultuous mob cheered madly; the struggle was terrific, but blood told; « dashing “bit o’ blood,” pakeha rider up, finishing gamely under punishment, just got his nose in front of the hope of the Maoris —a long raking bay, bestridden by a barefooted Maori boy. “No raoel” It was .the voice of the Maori judge, who sat still and impassive in all the excitement, sheltered from the rain by a huge umbrella. There was a furious outburst of wrath from the pakeha rider. “No race, be 1 This is a bit tough! Why, I won the race fair enough. ’ ’ “They didn’t all start,” said the judge. “Well, the starter gave the word to go, and we came away Why, some of them are messing 'hbont there yet; I ain’t to blame for that, am I?” The judge!’deolined to argue the question further. He called up the > starter, who had raced along with the field, probably to see that they raced fair, and in a dignified ton 6 demanded an explanation. The starter. gave a loquacious account of a affairs that apparently satisfied the judge, and he ordered the race to be ran, again. He also showed bis supreme authority by limiting the number of the field, to six. “Six of them; no more,” was bis brief mandate to tbe starter." There were more races, including an event which was with the title of the Orakei Gap, hut one Maori horse is very like another, and the, pakeha - spectators who had gone out from cariosity began to drift back to the wharf for the ferry boat.