NATIVE, CANOE RACES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 443, 5 February 1890, Page 4

NATIVE, CANOE RACES.

Thousands of people lined the shore to witness the Maori canoe,contests. The first event was a race between the large Ngatiwbatua waka taua from Orakei, and a couple of waka-tiwai from the Waikato. The war-canoe, which bears the title of Tahere-tikitiki, was manned by about 80 paddlers, while the other smaller craft each had twenty or thirty men. A very fine and exciting race resulted, the big canoe winning by a couple of lengths amidst much excitement. The waka-tiwai contest was also an interesting one, the same canoes entering as competed on the previous day at the Shore. The Momoni, manned by 20, Waikatos, was splendidly paddled and won after a fine race. The Momoni was also the winner of the race on Thursday. There was a race for Rarotongan native outrigger canoes, each manned by a single paddler. Tangaia won after a good race. Three small Maori kopapasov small canoes, each containing a couple of wahines, competed in very amusing and interesting hurdle races. THE WAR DANCE. The Maori war dance came off yesterday afternoon in the ground known as'Alison’s Bear-gardens, near the Devonport Beach, and was a very interesting spectacle. Over five thousand people witnessed the dance and were very much interested in the performance of the old native tu-ngarahu. The dancing party included 200 men and fifty women, nearly all Waikatos. The men were all nearly naked, and were armed with canoe paddles, or a few tdiahas, tokis, pctraoas and other old native weapons, and all were decorated in true native style. Te Rawhit.i led the women in the dance, the haka Jcotiro being very interesting.