Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 30, 5 February 1904, Page 3

A London correspondent urites : Miss Hilda Hitchings, ol' Napier, Jmd. an amusing oxiierii-iice at a fancy dress ball at Co vent Oarden. Willi the aid of one of the leading London experts in fancy dress preparation, Miss Hi tellings "got herself up" with a degree ol realism that had not previously been seen even at those famous balls. The complexion anid tatooing of a Maori chioftainess were imitated to perfection, and .Miss Hitchings carried her faithfulness of representation to the extent of having her feet bared and appropriately stained, while when moving about she exactly imitated the walk of the Maori women, and when not walking or Wanting she squatted on the floor with her short piiie in her mouth in precise wahine style. Many of those present fully believed her to bo a genuine Maori princess. Wherever she went she was attended by crowde of admiring, or at any rate curious, spectators, and when she first squatted on the floor she was surrounded M some hundreds of spectators. As she advanced to receive her prize her progress was accompanied by hearty cheers mid cries of "Bravo, New Zealand !" Altogether her experience seems to have been quite an exceptional one. Her sister, Misg Belle llitcliings, whose stage name is "Belle Napier," and who has been playing a lengthened . with the Edwards Theatrical Company, has decided to leave on a visit to New Zealand alrnoßt Immediately on a reciting tour.