ISLAND COURTESY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 54, 25 June 1914, Page 4

ISLAND COURTESY.

The special reporter of the Christchurch Press who accompanied the Governor and his party on their recent visit to the Cook Islands, thus describes an incident of the official reception of the party at the Palace at Raratonga, on May 28th:—At the front door of the Makaa’s palaca, there was a formal but cordial wel-

come to the King’s representative, and an equally cordial reply. Then came the presents—a deluge of them. The Governor and her Excellency were invested in robes of tappa cloth, and native women, coming forward on behalf of the various arikis, minor chiefs, and villages, laid at the feet of the visitors beautiful and rare mats, hats, pari us, bed-quilts baskets, paddles decorated with magnificent plumes of -banana fibre, and other articles on the manufacture of which the natives have been engaged for many weeks. This ceremony had its amusing side. All the official visitors received presents—and each lady and gentleman was given at least native hats, each hat being ceremoniously placed upon the head of the recipient by an agent of the donor. The hats were of all shapes and sizes, and the effects attained were sometimes startling. His Excellency was not always fortunate in getting a goot fit, and when, at the conclusion of the present-giving, he stood up, robed iu tappa cloth, half a dozen hats under one arm, a decorated paddle in the other hand, and a hat several sizes too big upon his head, the photographers had no mercy. None laughed more heartily than the Governor, whose easy and charming manner quickly -won the unmistakable goodwill of the natives. One bashful aide objected strongly do being brought forward and decorated with a hat of pronounced pattern, hut his objections were held to transgress one of the rules of native etiquette, and he contributed 'to the enjoyment of the holiday. Dr. Pomare takes an unusual size in hats, and all his presents perched precariously upon the top of his head.