THE KING COUNTRY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 4

THE KING COUNTRY.

GUBERNATORIAL VISIT. NATIVE MEETING AT OTOROHONGA. SPEECH BY LORD ONSLOW. Tk Awamutu, April 2. His Exoellkncy the Governor and party reached Otorohanga, the scene of the meeting with the chiefs and people of several of the leading Waikato tribes, between 2 and 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon. The journey up was a very pleasant one, the weather being warm and beautiful all dav.

The onlyrincidont of any consequence on the jouaiey was the lire in one of the horse boxes and consequent injury to two of His Excellency’s animals. The origin of the tire is quite a mystery. Nothing was known of it till Frank bon station was reached, and the flames were then observed issuing from the truck. The loose straw in the box was in flames, and the horses were a good deal burned before they could be got out. It is suggested as the most probable cause of the outbreak that a spark from the locomotive had alighted amongst the straw, or that a match had been carelessly dropped in the box. The latter theory is the more probable, for the box was a covered one and therefore protected from sparks. Immediately prior to the outbreak the train was running for a long distance at a speed of between 25 and 30 miles an hour, and it is well that the outbreak did not occur then, or it might nob have been so slight in its effects. OTOROHANGA.

The scene of the meeting is a pretty little village of some 12 or 15 houses, about 14 or 16 miles beyond Te Awarautu. It stands on a level piece of land surrounded on all sides by low hills. The view from the village is uninteresting, and the surroundings are similar in appearance to many other portions of the Waikato. The slopes of the hills are covered with a growth oi' fern and ti-tree. in the distance are the hazy outlines of some range, and on one side two belts of dense bush. Very little can be seen of the country beyond. The little village was en fete in honour of the vice-regal visit, and the scene when the train slowed up to the platform was an animated one. AN ARCH OF WELCOME. At the entrance to the station was an arch tastefully designed from ferns and evergreens, and in the centre ol it the device, “ Haere mai,’’ or the Maori words of welcome. Beyond this arch, on the village side of the station, was an assemblage of several hundreds of Maoris of both sexes and all ages, and also a few Europeans. The natives behaved with admirable taste, standing or sitting about in groups on the other side of the arch of welcome, while their visitors alighted from the train. There was no rush to the station such as would be made by a European crowd, and in this respect the natives could not have behaved better. His Excellency and party having landed, were welcomed by several leading residents, and then pro ceeded on foot towards the village. Their appearance under the archway was the signal for cries of welcome, and the “ Haere mai ” was echoed from hundreds of throats in a moment; then the natives advanced to meet their guests, several of their women singing a song of welcome, and beating time meanwhile with their feet THE NATIVE DRESS.

One would have expected in the native territory to find the Maoris attired in picturesque native costumes, but such was not the case. European garments were worn by all, with the exception, perhaps, of one poor old fellow, who sat against the fence wrapped up in his blanket. The women were attired in ordinary female apparel, with rather pretentious millinery n some cases, but with nearly all a weakness for bright-coloured shawls was noticeable. Amongst the men, too, the dress was strictly European. Rewi, for instance, wore a white siik dust coat, black trousers, and a beltopper of the same colour; while Wahatiui, though not so presentable, was attired in a light coat and straw hat. Other prominent chiefs present were Taonui, Hanauru, and Rangituatea. The general use of European clothing was remarkable.

It was decided to proceed direct from the train to the building recently erected by the natives as a meeting place, and in which the meeting was to be held. It was only a few minutes walk, and the party proceeded thither on foot. The cavalcade was a motley one. His Excellency walked in the centre of the crowd, accompanied by Lady Onslow and preceded by the natives. During the whole of the walk the four or five native women who had first come forward, walked in front of His Excellency chanting their song, gesticuat.ing violently, and dancing occasionally a portion of what was not unlike a haka. Occasionally the refrain of the song was taken up by the other natives, who joined in vigorously. At the entrance to the hall the chiel Rewi came forward and welcomed the Governor and Lady Onslow. THE MEETING HOUSE.

The scene inside the bui ding was also a novel one. On the platfonn were His Excellency and Lady Onslow, Sir Frederick Whitaker, the Hon. E. Mitchelson, the other visitors ; Mr G. T. Wilkinson, native interpreter, and the chief Rewi Ngatimaniapoto. The seats in the body of the hall were filled by a crowd of natives, who sat gazing intently, and listening very earnestly to the proceedings. The meeting \yas opened by John Ormsby, a young native, coming forward and presenting to His Excellency an address’ of which the following is a, translation by Mr Grace : ADDRESS TO LORD ONSLOW.

To Lord Onslow, Governor of New Zealand. Greetings. We, the chiefs and people of Ngatimaniapoto, Ngarukawa and Ngatihikairo, welcome you and Lady Onslow in consequence of fins, your first visit to us. We also most cordially welcome you as the representative of Her Most Gracious Majesty, the Queen of England. We also welcome you because your visit to us takes place during the year of Jubilee of this colony. During the fifty years that have passed away a number of important matters and matters that have brought about troubles—have taken place between the two races, viz., the Maoris and Europeans. Other tribes of this island have for some time past been living on good terms with the Europeans, but in consequenceof the estrangement of the twq races, we are the last of the Maori tribes to link ourselves to the Europeans. As you are the first Governor who has visited this district, we are exceedingly glad to welcome you, and sincerely hope that this 19 only the prelude to other visits from yourself and other Governors in the future. Sufficient.” SPEECHES BY NATIVES. It is customary on such occasions for several of the chiefs to second the address with words of welqome, and in accordance with this custom, Hanauru, a fine-looking

specimen of the Maori, and a chief of the Ngatimaniapoto, came forward. He is an elderly man, upwards of 60 years of age, but spoke with a good deal of energy. He said : “ Welcome, O Governor Onslow, welcome Mr Micchelson, for it is through you we now see our great ornament (the Governor). You are between us and the Europeans. Bring the Governor to use, so that he may see these new people. Come, O Governor, and see us. It is because of your great love to the natives that you have come to see us.’’ Then, addressing his dead ancestors, Hanauru continued : “ Listen, oh my ancestors, those who are dead, this is the Governor who has come to see us who are living.” Hanauru then chanted a lament, of which the following is a translation : “ Where does my life come from ? It is brought to me by" the wind. My eyes overflow with tears. This is the rising ground ; here I watch and grieve and utter all my thoughts arid feelings. For you, oh, Governor, you may rest quietly. I see you like in a dream ; you are hero now, bub when I wake, like from a dream, I will find that you have gone. In the past, troubles arose and severed us, bub if we are now linked we may walk together, and visit one another in Wellington.” Hanauru also delivered an ancient prayer or incantation, and the concluding words were taken up and chanted vigorously, bub in good time, by all the natives in the building. Hanauru’s speech concluded: “Give me your hand, oh Governor. You are the representative of the Queen. Salutations to you and your children. It is very good that you should come and see all the people of this place. Welcome! welcome!” Ponawha, a chief of the Ngatiraukawa bribe, was the next speaker. He said, “Salutations! Bring the influence ol the muna, which is a treasure of great value. The Ngatiraukawa, in your presence, are glad to see you and see your friends, for you are a protector of the people. In your presence are all the chiefs who directed matters that led to peace. May you live long to direct matters in this country between the natives and Europeans.”

Tavvhana, chief of the Ngatimaniapoto, then addressed His Excellency. He said : “ 1 am sorry there are not many people hereto welcome you. Come, O, stranger, to the strangers; come, bringing your thoughts and reveal them to us. Welcome ! Whatever they are we shall be glad to hear them. You have visited us through these daysof peaeeand quietnessand through your love. You would nothave been seen amongst us in days gone by, but come. There are no people here now to welcome you. They are all dead. Only the mountains and hills are left to welcome you. Come and see the remnants of our peop'e. lam the last of those that have gone before.” Hone Webere, from Kavvhia, representing the Hikaiaro, then advanced to the centre of the hall and said: “Welcome! come and see the people of this district. Here they are in your presence, all round you, and they are living in ditierenb places of abode.” Then the speaker commenced a chant, which was a lament for the leading men of the past, who would have taken part in such a ceremony, but who are dead. A FEMALE SPEAKER. These were to have been all the speeches, but even amongst the Maori fair sex there i« a desire for women’s rights. A woman named Parihaka came forward and desired to be heard. She appealed to the Governor for pity. All her lands, she said, had been cut for roads since the railway came, and now her lands were nothing but roads. The men took care that these things were not done to their lands. LORD ONSLOW’S REPLY.

His Excellency then rose, and made the following reply which Mr VVilkinson translated : “ You are all strangers to me with one exception, and that is Rewi. He came to Auckland on the occasion of the Jubilee of the colony, but then I had just arrived in the land. I received a message from Taonui and Hanauru, a message of greeting, and, as I told them then, I made a point of coming here to greet you, and I now greet you all. lam glad to have an opportunity of seeing the tribe that has most recently mingleditself with the Europeans. You have said I was the first Governor that visitea you, but it is not likely Governors will come unless they know they are welcome. As soon as I knew you had linked yourselves with the Europeans I hastened to meet yon, and I hope I shall be able to visit, under similar circumstances, every tribe in the colony. One great principle of the Queen’s Government is that all people are equal. The Queen knows no difference between thos9 born in New Zealand and those born in England. All have the same courts of justice and the same Parliament, I did not expect that you all could be present here to-day, but I shall travel through the different parts of the colony, and I hope to greet, and be greeted by all the tribes. 1 have yet to learn the wants of your locality, and I will begin to-morrow by riding over the road that lias been referred to, on our way to the caves. I thank you all heartily on behalf of the Queen I represent, and I also thank you on behalf of Lady Onslow, whom we have here to day.” The assemblage then dispersed with cheers for the Governor. FESTIVITY AT OTOROHANGA.

1 Gtorohanga was very lively last night, a number of natives and Europeans having come in from surrounding districts. There was a good deal of life about, the place. The hall was occupied by a meeting of natives with the Hon. E. Mitchelson, at which Governor and Captain S3avile were present for a time, and the hall was the scene of an impromptu dance, where dusky belles made merry with their white partners till close upon midnight. Music was discoursed upon an accordion, the dancers obligingly taking their turns at the instrument, and the opinion of the Auckland visitors who took part in the novel entertainment was that Maori girls are remarkably good dancers. At the railway station an original entertainment was in progress, a number of natives dancing the haka and other dances to time beaten on kerosene tins, and in a dm religious light ohed by tallow candles. The billiard - room, too, was well patronised by the knights of the cue. Every settlement was full of life till after midnight, and even then laughter and song from bands of roysfcerers on the way back to their homes could be heard in all directions. CAMPING OUT. The Governor and party had brought up with thorn a number of servants and their luggage, inpluding bedding, cooking utensils and tent. They therefore camped out on the other side of the railway station and utilised some of the railway carriages as well as a tent for sleeping accommodation. The remainder of the party found very comfortable quarters at tbe Otorohanga Hotel, a very comfortable place, where tbe accommodation was excellent.

ROADS IN THE KING COUNTRY. The qjeeting in the evening between Mr Mitchelson and natives was very important in oDe respect. Several years ago it was the Government who urged the natives to allow a road to be made and works to be done in the King Country, and at that time a man would have been shot for

attempting such work. Last night, on the other hand, it was the Maoris who pleaded with the representative of Government to make roads, bridges rivers, construct cattle sidings, and do all kinds of imaginable work for the progress of the district. No promises were made, and so far as railway matters went, Mr Mitchelson said he would lay them before the Commissioners. With regard to the others he promised to have them considered. SIR GEORGE GREY. It was stated in the address yesterday that His Excellency was the first Governor to come into the King Country. This is, I am informed by an old resident, only true as far as the period since the war is concerned. Before the war, Sir George Grey travelled through all this country, meeting the natives and doing much to encourage industry amongst them. Travelling at the time, too, was attended with many hardships nob dreamt of now. Occasionally, Sir George Grey was accompanied by Bishop Selwyn, both of them beloved by natives, as well as by Europeans. NATIVE PRODUCTION. Much wheat was grown here. There were flour mills here, and the flour was sent to Auckland and Sydney ; indeed, it was in this way Rewi made the ninety sovereigns which he banked in Auckland several years ago, after carrying it about from place to place for twenty years and occasionally burying it. THE EXPEDITION FROM WELLINGTON,

wishing to inspect the route of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, is expected up here about the Bth or 9th of the month. It only comes as far as the Poroafcarao Tunnel, and then retuins under the guidance of Mr Hursthouse, proceeding down the Wanganui River in canoes. THE WAITOMO CAVES. His Excellency and party leave here this morning for the remarkable Waitomo Caves. One party rides whole distance of ten miles ; another proceeds five miles by train, and the other five miles on horseback. The weather is beautifully tine this morning. His Excellency was interested to find that Mr Ellis, the leading storekeeper here, is from Guildford, the same town as himself. THE KING COUNTRY. The only matter of general importance dealt with at the meeting last night was a request to remove restrictions from the whole of the King Country, an area of six million acres, so that the natives may deal with it as they please. At present, only Government have power to deal for any of these lands. Mr Mitchelson said the Government could not think of granting the request on any consideration, and refused to entertain the proposal. Wahanui, who followed, said Mr Mitchelson was quite right in refusing, and stated that the desire to remove restrictions from the country was not general. Hamilton, April 2. VISIT TO HAMILTON. The Governor and suite return to Hamilton on Thursday at 11 o’clock. He will be met by the Mayor and Councillors, and also by a guard of honour from the Hamilton Light Infantry, of 40 men. The party will be entertained at luncheon at Mrs Gwynne’s Hotel, by the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr Isaac Coates, and a few of the leading citizens. The Governor will be driven to Cambridge and back to see the country,and will stop at Mrs Gwynne’s cottage for the night. The weather is grand. The grass is growing well, and better health is prevailing.