THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8356, 11 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

By Telegraph— Special Service-

CHRISTCHURCH, February 10. There was a large attendance at the Exhibition on Saturday, of which bandsmen from all parts of the colony, and in all varieties of uniform, formed a portion. The city is at present full of bandsmen, who have assembled to take part in the great contest, which will continuedaily from Monday morning till Saturday night. Ten bands from the North arrived on Saturday morning, seven from the South arrived by Saturday night's express, and about ten more from the North Island were passengers by- to-day's boat from Wellington. Of the thirty-seven bands that entered the following wilL not take part in the Contest: —Feilding, Hokitika, Granity, Buller, Elite, Dannevirke, Lyttelton Marine, Oamaru Citizens, and Auckland First Regimental Mounted. The following officers will act as judges of the military portion o£ the Quickstep competitions Lieut.-Colonels Hawkins \ and Josey, Captains Foster and Meddings. Sergt.-Majors Farthing and Hoare. Mr J. D. Hunter, of Dunedin, official time-keeper of the North Island Brass Bands' Association, will act in that capacity at the competitions. The remainder of the attendance at the Exhibition on Saturday consisted mostly of country visitors and residents from other parts of the colony attracted by the cheap steamer and railway fares. Visitors by steamers are still arriving in large numbers. Of three boats which arrived from the North yesterday the Mararoa brought 660 excursionists, the Pateena 154, and the Manuka 288. The principal features of the' day were the organ recital by Dr. Bradshaw, the orchestral concert and a combined performance by the Fijians and Maoris. Over 1,400 persons witnessed the performance by the Fijians and natives. Representatives of the Hawke's Bay natives and of those who came before them, made speeches in which they expressed regret for the impending departure of the Fijians. Dr Bruck translated their remarks into English, and |;he reply of Ratu Ifermi, 011 behalf of the Fijians, was translated by Mr W. A. Scott. Ifermi welcomed the new natives to the Exhibition and cups of kava, the Fijian national drink, were then offered to the leading Maoris, by whom their contents or partial contents, were swallowed with laughable grimaces. The Maoris/then 5 danced a number of hakas, wardances and pois in first-class fashion, and the Fijians gave exhibitions of their/fan and club dances. Into the latter, which concluded with a ferocious combat with clubs, as a re-/ suit of which first one side and then,, the other, ' and finally both, lie prostrate on the field, much humorous by-play was imported, some of the Maoris entering immediately into the spirit of the joke, and adding little touches of their own. Finally the members of both races squatted in company on the ground, and the Fijians sang some of their native songs. The combat was most picturesque and enjoyable. Lieut. Bentley has drawn up the programme for a military tattoo, which he suggests might, be held in the Sports Ground oil Friday evening next. It is proposed that all visiting bands shall take part, and co-operation of the Maoris and Fijians will be sought, and also that of the cadets in camp,., and a number of volunteers. Messrs James Pain and Sons, of London, will supply fireworks to assist in making the effect as interesting as possible. Works in the British section of the Art Gallery are still being . disposed of at satisfactory prices. The most important transaction recently has been the disposal of W. B. Leader's £6OO oil painting ("Southward From Surrey's Pleasant Hills") to Mrs S. A. Rhodes, of Wellington. ' The Executive of the Canterbury Band of Hope Union have arranged to hold their a.nnual Easter Monday demonstration in the Exhibition Grounds. ' The demonstration, which usually takes the form of a picnic combined with sports for the children, will be held in the portion of the Exhibition grounds, west of the Sports Ground. As the annual conference of the Temperance Societies is to be held in Christchureh at Easter it is expected that the demonstration, particularly on account of the Exhibition, will be the largest ever witnessed. * ,