THE ROYAL TOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1920, Page 5

THE ROYAL TOUR.

THE PRINCE SURF-RIDING. A NOVEL EXPERIENCE. Ey Teleerapli,—Press Aiian—Copyright, Honolulu, April IS. One day only was spent in Honolulu by the Renown, but enough romance, interest and unusual entertainment was compressed into tiie brief visit of the Princo to suffice for a week. A whisper went round early in the day that the Prince proposed to try suvfriding at Waikiki beach quietly bv himself after the public exhibition of surf--I.cling by experts was concluded. Everybody ill the city heard the whisper within half an hour, as if it had been shouted by San Diego's ''Magna Vox." A large proportion of the entire population of Honolulu assembled in bathing costume on the beach late in ~.e after" noon, bathing being entirely suspended. The jetty from the Manna Hotel was packed liom end to end with camera men and cinema operators who erected machines on native outrigger canoes and waited in the surf in imminent risk of catastrophe. The foreshore was obscured by crowds on rainbow-colored bathers.

Cheers went up when the Prince emerged for a little quiet enjoyment from the new wing of the hotel. He wore an ordinary swimming costume, blue-edged with a red stripe. Duke Kahanamoku, the famous Hawaiian swimmer, attended with a native outrigger canoe., .Amid an enthusiastic cheer the Prince and his party shoved oil', tiie Hawaiijiu taking tho steering paddle. The Prince occupied a thwart, taking a paddle next the Hawaiian. The party paddled out, to the middle of the surf, coming back at the speed of an express train, surrounded b'y cinema and camera men and observers with power! ill glasses. Frequent runs were made in the same way, members of the crew declaring it was like toboganning. Tho surf-riding afternoon was a huge success. Aus.-N.X. Cable Assn. QUAINT ENTERTAINMENT. GUEST AT A NATIVE FEAST.

Received April 10, 10 p.m. Honolulu, April 15. The Prince attended a Masonic fiuu.-riuii, wuich \\U'. followed by a nuui bill) given l>v the (.iovernor of Hawaii, but a far more picturesque. entertainnii?i]t. »'us given aiter the bail, when ttio Prince and his stall', with invited quests, departed in motor cars to participate in' a mysterious festivity in the country.

A long line of motor cars sped away at. midnight to Pearl Harbor Peninsula, forty minutes run from Honolulu, and few of the guests had any idea of the nature of tlu- entertainment to be provided. (In reaching an open space the guests were ushered between lines of white-robed Hawaiian women, wearing capes ot scarlet and i ellow plumage, through a gale into the grounds or' a handsome private residence belonging to -Mr. and Sirs. Rolr Arkinson, who received them, with iincess Kawananakoe, organiser of ;ue festival. The Prince was greeted with a. chant of welcome, and escorted to the house, where his host and hostess held a brief reception.

A move was then made to the gardens, where under a mighty free, it Hawaiian feast. had been prepared on tables raised one foot from the ground The guests were invited to inspect the earth oven where a pig was baking wrapped in large ti leaves. There were calabashes loaded with strange delicacies, including octopus, unknown vegetables, a mountain of apples, jn kui nuts, dried iish, pungent pepper.-:, salad;, and sweels. The banyan tree was surrounded by a grove of coconut palms, and was hung with electric lights, living a soft radiant ihnnination.

About a hundred European and American guests, including ladies in evening dress and' wearing diamonds, seated themselves cross-legged on strc-.v mats placed 011 the. ground, and a few chairs were provided for the Prince, his host and hostess, Hawaiian princess, and others. Flower wreaths were presented to every guest, and suspended round their necks, the whole scene when the «at- down being extraordinarily romantic,' especially when a Hawaiian corps de ballet made its appearance in a natural alcove under rocoanut trees, and began a continuous performance oF rhythmical high swaying dances to the accompaniment of gourds beaten 011 the ground and interminable barbaric chants.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.