THE VISIT TO TAMAHERE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1414, 26 July 1881, Page 3

THE VISIT TO TAMAHERE.

The whole party, numbering close upon 700, left Cambridge yesterday morning about 9 o'clock, accompanied by Major Mair, Mr Grace, and Mr Brown, native interpreter. Eewi, the Europeans, and the women of the party drove in buggies, but Tawhiao performed the journey on foot. They reached Hone Tuhakaraine's place about noon. When it became known that the Maoris would remain in the vicinity during the night and would not leave before the next morning, the Bettlers were appealed to, and within a few minutes a good stock of provisions was collected and a dinner prepared by Mes&rs Runciman and Rhodes was laid out in the cottage at the settlement. The following subscriptions were given : — Tuhakaraine, 2 bullocks, 3 tons potatoes, lot of firewood ; Douglas, 6 sheep and 2 barrels beer ; Pearson, 2 sheep ; Rhodes and Runciman, 50 loaves ; Cowley, J>-ton potatoes ; Ewen, ditto ; Graham, 24 loaves: Pear&on Bros., 2 sheep; Paton, 100 loaves ; Snowden, 50 loaves ; Mair, bag of sugar ; Chap. Ewen, 41bs. te.i ; Seymour, 50 loaves ; Wheeler, £1 ;E. B. Ewen, 10s ; and several other subscriptions. A number of the Ngatihaua people I headed by the chiefs Hargravea, Rice and Rihi assembled to welcome the party. Rice was tho first to t> peak. He said : Welcome to Waikato. It is right that you should visit these parts ; we feel delighted at seeing you back in this place; welcome, ■welcome. On the King's side the first to speak waB Tumanako, who said :— You all right in calling us to come. We are trradingon 1 the footpaths of our fathers. Call and continue to call (t c. y to welcome). Rihi spoke in the same strain an Rico Tiiwhiao then addressed the Ngatihaua as follows: — Call, call, call; yes we respond. We have been dead, but now live. We have been in darkness, but are wo not at Tamahere ; is not this Maniapoto (alluding to the pah on Ewen's farm). Now we emerge into daylight, and will in future enjoy the good things of this world. He then f=ang two songs appropriate to the occanion. He concluded by saying : — Our fathers are gone, and the people as it were have been dead, but we now live. Call to us, call to us, call to us ; we are coming — we aro on our journey. Hargraves then said: — Come, the leader of the people : come to the haunts of our ancestors. Who but you has the right to % triad on the ground trodden by them. He then sang a song of welcome, and finished by saying : — Welcome to Waikato. Te Tuhi, a relation of Tawhiao's, addressed a few appropriate words to the assemblage, which ended the speaking. The different tribes then selected their camping ground, Tawhiao being assigned the fate Tuhakaraine's house, which has not been inhabited since the death of that chief. The food was then divided, and preparations made for cooking. Jn the afternoon, about 2 o'clock, a number of European ladies and gentlemen arrived on the scene, and appeared to take the greatest interest in the proceedings. Subsequently the natives gave a haka, at which the visitors were still further delighted. Afterwards a number of ladies ana gentlemen were introduced to Tawhiao. In the afternoon Rewi, accompanied by Mr Grace and Rangituatea, drove into Hamilton, and put up at the Commercial Hotel.