Page 1 Advertisements Column 6

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 347, 11 June 1863, Page 1

THE NEW HIAWATHA ; OK, SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE MAORIES. THE LAY Of THE EGG. I 'will tell you of the^meeting, Where the great Maori chieftains With their dancing men and maidens, Clad in splendid feather head-gear, And green branches on their shoulders Sang, and feasted with the Governor, The great Father of the People. Two whole days they sat together, Feasting from the mighty tin pans, ' Fill’d with tuis and with pigeons, Fill’d with fat birds aud roast grumphies ; While they danced the dance of welcome, Sang the old songs of the people— The sweet chants of the Maori, When as yet there was no Governor. I I Seated in his green verandah, I With palefaces gather’d round him, Was the Father of the People, Gome to hear our swarthy chieftains Chaff and gammon him till sunset, As they swore their fealty to him. First they placed their coins before him— A’propitiatory offering—'Which he graciously refunded. Then, three dusky nymphs, advancing, Sang the Egg. Song to the.paleface. With their feathers and green branches Nodding time unto the music, They sang how the egg was broken By the warriors.hatching evil ; But the healer of their troubles Now had come to mend the egg-shell And give peace to the Maori. After which, the dark King ITori, "With a black cloak o’er his shoulders, And a white wand in his fingers— Gifted from the Ocean Queen, Whom the Governor must bow to — Cried aloud to all the people : “ Come and listen to me, people ! Give a welcome to the Governor: . When he comes to W r anganui.” . Then the chiefs stepp’d solemn forward— A ram a, Karaki, and Puni, Mature and Tamikana, Tamati of Aromoho ; All the woolly-headed chieftains Who sit in the Runanga, • Giving justice to.the people— And, in flowery words of wisdom, Thus addressed the mighty Father :—: -■ “ Give us your love, 0 Governor ! Give your good to us, 0 Father ! Speak words of peace unto us.Wo will lay our spears before you ; Our live pigs shall squeak before you.” But the evening gather’d round them, ! When the Governor, uprising, Said—“ 0 ! my Maori people, I will talk with you to-morrow Then the people all obey’d him, And sought their tents till morning. When the morning came, the Governor, Calling round him all the people, Palaver’d them a long while, Saying—“ Come, be all united. The great Queen, has sent me hither— The great Queen who loves her children — To give you laws and lawyers, To make you like tlie white men. Come, let us work together; Let us be as one united ; Let the egg-shell now be mended.” Then Mete King and Hakaraia, Two old, crafty chiefs, advancing, Said—“ We’re glad to see you, Governor. ■ ■ You have spoken good words to us. After fifty moons of thinking ; Something good should now be acted.” Then the tribes, called by Tahana, Came and chanted a IVaiata. Solemn, slow, and melancholy, As the summer winds at midnight, When they moan around the tent door, Tims they chanted to their Father, As he sat in his verandah, And looked smilingly upon tkem. Tken Te Kepa, sable warrior— The oily-mouthed Maori: — Stretching on two poles a flax string, Struck the poles into the greensward, Witli the flax string taut between them, Saj ing—“ Here is your road, 0 Father ! Do not you encroach beyond it. This is the thought of the Maori — Let the boundary line Re measured ; Keep your land, and-give, us ours. Do you twig my meaning, Governor ?” Thus the smooth-tongued Te Kepa Spoke the true thought of our bosom. Then strode forth, from Pah Ranana, Ham, big-limited and burley-headed. Smoothing down his sappy paunches, With his sable, greasy fingers—- “ Listen to me, though a stranger. What is all this great palaver ? What 1 want is for the body. Place the good you speak of near me ; When I taste it, I shall choose it. One good thing my father gives me— A good pipe of strong tobacco. That is all I care about it.” And follow’d him Mature, A great chieftain from Otaki, Saying—“ Once we lived on fern roots, On the berries of the Tawa, The Karaka and Hinau ; Wearing shirts when we could get them. Now we live on Hour and sugar, And are cloth’d in coats and breeches. That is good. But the Pakeha Brought us powder, guns, and whisky. Every one of these was evil, . And you, 0 Father, brought them. ” Thus our wise Maori chieftains Spoke their sage words to the Governor, Counselling him till sunset; And he graciously listen’d, And told them all liis meaning— And the sweet IVaiata singers Flung their graceful arms around ■them, Singing welcomes to the FatherThe Protector —Ron Raimi— Of the great Maori nation. Feasting followed, till the pales kins, Rising with their Governor, Sought their fire-canoe, that slumber’d,’ With its smoky nostril silent, On the bosom of the river ; And wc watch’dftlicm till the shadows Of the evening came between us. ; Much wc thought, when they had left us - ; A nd each man ask’d his neighbour- “ Do you Hunk the eyj is vu tided - " 1_ “ Glasgow Daily Herald,” Jan. 15.