BARREL OF FLOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 July 1938, Page 6

BARREL OF FLOUR

MAORIS’ GIFT TO QUEEN VICTORIA. AN OLD-TIME PRESENT. “In the year 1849 the Waikato natives made Queen Victoria a present of a cask of flour,” said the late Sir George Hunter at an early settlers’ winter- reunion in Wellington some years ago. “As it appears to me to be rather quaintly worded, I propose to read it. The spirit is really very fine.” “We, King ‘Gorge’ Te Waru, and John Baptist Kahawai, salute you,” began the letter, which proceeded to thank the Queen for her promise that the Treaty of Waitangi should be adhered to. “We are averse to fighting with the white people or amongst ourselves; but let the Queen always foster us; we approve of the customs of the white people, and the Governor also loves us.” "O. Queen, let the succeeding Governor you send here be a good and religious one. We approve of praying to God without making distinction of Protestants and Roman Catholics; it is sufficient to worship the great God,” ran the quaint exhortation. The letter went on to state that the natives had finished their flourmill, and that Sir George Grey had visited them and given them a plough. “We paid for the watermill entirely by ourselves. We paid the white man who built it £2OO, which we obtained by the sale of pigs and flax, £2O being for flax, and £lBO for pigs. The common labour we did ourselves. . . . We were a year in collecting the money.” “O the Queen; we regard you with affection because we have nothing to give you; because we the Maoris are a poor people. But we wish that you should see and also eat of the flour grown at Rangiaohia.” The Queen was requested not to find fault with it, as they had nothing else to give her. “Be graciously pleased with our present,” they said, “in order that our hearts may be glad.” “The schools for our children are very good,” stated the concluding paragraph, “and we will now become civilised. But do not send convicts here to our country. They will cause us trouble, and we will be afraid that evil should be increased in our islands."