KING TAWHIAOIN LONDON.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1880, 24 July 1884, Page 2

KING TAW HI AO IN LONDON.

His Impressions of the City. The Maori " King" enjoyed a very pleasant trip to England in the Sorata, arriving in London on the Ist June, Ho was greatly struck with the appearance of the country as the vessel steamed along the coast, and spoke m delighted terms of the cultivation to be seeu. The London correspondent of the Auckland Hereld sends a very interesting account of the " King's " doiugs to that journal, and from that we make the following extracts. Writing on the 2nd of Juno, the correspondent says :—": — " When I left the Sorata last night Trwhiao and his party were among the few passengers who decided to remain until the morning. Indeed, there seemed to be no help for it, seeing tlias no one came to meet them and th'afc they could not possibly have reached the city until eleven o'clock, too late to secure quarters suck as weie likely to meet their requirements. Next day was the Whitsuntide bank holiday, and there was practically no onj about but, in any case, late in the afternoon the whole party anived safely in the city. In the morniag a reconnoitring expedition, consisting of Topia, Te Wlieoro, Ropia, and Mr Skulmore, left the vessel in search of lodgings, and took train for Fenehurch-stieet Station, with one of the Sorata's stewards as a guide. Tawhiao and Patara remained behind. The Maoris had been recommended to stay at Williamsons Hotel, in Bow-lane, and hither therefoie they hied. It is a modest, but lespectable, establishment, just off Cheapside, and in rear of the famous Bow Chinch. Three rooms weie eventually engaged as sleeping apartments, while, for other purposes, they decided to avail themselves of the uublic accomodation of the hotel. The business tiausacted, the party made their way back to the ship, to teport upon the result of their mission, and to prepare Tawhiao for depai tnre. In the interval that ensued prior to the removal of the baggage — which «onsisfced ot seventeen packages — some of the paity paid a visit to an hotel in proximity to the dock, wheie they partook of refreshment in the shape of peppermint water and Banbury cakes, while Te Wheoio displayed his skill with the cue by beating a young English gentleman who had challenged him to a game of billiards. Owing to the operation of the bank holiday, most of the dock officials weie off duty, but the Customhouse officers appear to have waived a point in allowing the Juguage to pass out, so that there should be no further delay or difficulty. A comical incident happened during the afternoon. Mr Skidmore hail taken the necessary railway tickets for TawlnV/ and his dusky retinue to London. Tiny weie all in waiting upon the platform of the Custom-house station. Presently a train came along bound for Liverpool stieet, and this was closely followed by another tor Fenchureh-street. It was this latter that the Maoris intended to take. By some extraoidinary means, however, Te Whcoi o, Topia, and Ropia seem to have Sc-paiated themselves from Tawhiao and Patara, and jumped into the Liverpool-street train by themselves and without their tickets. Just after tho engine had steamed aw.iy they weie missed, A hasty conclusion was come to as to what had happened, and the only thing that remained to do was to send a telegram to the station-master at their next place of destination. This, was accordingly done, the message bein# accompanied by a request that he would detain them until relief came. By and by, when the Fenchurch-street train reached London, and a cab had been chartered to rescue the missing Maoris, they were found seated quite at home iv the office of the stationmaster, smoking and chatting with stoical indifference as to what had happened. Thus, Te Wheoro and his companions experienced for the first time in their lives the very dubious pleasure of being " lost in London." The remainder of the day was uneventful Tawhiao and his companions went for a shoit walk after partaking of supper, but there were few people abroad, and they retired eaily to rest." On the 3rd June the same correspon dent writes :— " To-day Tawhiao has had his first peep of real, live, busy London, and besides, in the coime of the afternoon, I was present at an interview that took place between him and the rest and Mr F. W. Chebson, the secretary of the English Aborigines Society. During the morning the king made his first appearance iv the neighbourhood of Cheapside, Cannon-street, and Queen Victoria-street, always taking care to keep v itbin a few hundred yards' radius of his hotel. He at once constituted himself the centre of observation, and a crowd soon gathered at his heels. His long black coat and silk, hat would not have been marked. It was the man himself, with his tattooed face and shaik's tooth earring that excited the cuiiosity of Londoners, while some ot the swarms of boys who here throng the streets were in many cases far more emphatic than polite in the remarks that somehow or other they felt coustrained to pass. The Maoris paid visits to several shops, and made purchases. In one establishment the young lady attendant seemed quite alarmed at tho appearance ot her strange customers, and this was not allayed until assured that Tawhiao was a perfectly harmless individual. Several of the. party pined for hair-oil and this they bought, together with many other toilet requisites, such as toothbrushes, &c, while Topia came out with a bran new pair of patent leather boots, which he at once put on and of which he seemed really proud. Among the purchases made by Te Wheoro was a couple of pairs of blue spectacles— a la Mr Sheehan — which he dirt not know how to wear when he got them judging from the way in which he fumbled about wheu taking them off and putting them on. He was, however, quite aware of their purpose, viz., to protect his eyes from the glare of the 3un, but he evidently does not realise the fact that that there is little sunshine here. They seemed to spend their money prett\ r freely, though only upou what may be described as necessaries, and there was n general opinion among them that they could get quite as mnch variety in Now Zealand, and at much about the same prices. Tawhiao gives more vent to his feelings and views than any of the others. He notices everything. He thinks London a fine city, but in the course of his perambulations he several times remarked that the* buildings were so smoky and dirty. This idea may perhaps be modified' when he visits the West End and some of the suburbs. ' ' - ■ There have been but i few callers %t Williamsons Hotel today, and the visits have been rather of a fmridly ' tbiin\ bus|^ ness Character. Mr 'AT * (J. Horton, $Mr Q: Vesey' Stewart^ and a, few others loo|se4 in to pay t&Vu>; acldcessesifi^Jift I

interview with Mr Cheason, who waited ou Tawhiao in accordance with a commitnicatiou forwarded to him from the Sorata after reaching dock, was the only one that at all partook or had the semblance of officialism."