AN EDIFYING SPECTACLE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1903, 16 September 1884, Page 3

AN EDIFYING SPECTACLE.

Notwithstanding the large amount of modern legislation, and tlie strenuous and fatherly efforts of the Hon John Bryce in elevating the social status of the noble sa\ nge and the fifty years incessant labour of the missionary fathers the law in respect to natives, it would seem, is still miserably deficient, for tlioui<h it may be suihcicnl to conserve their lands and their hereditary rights, still it does not go so far aa to conserve their morals or whatever dignity of character the possess as a people. An incident happened at Cambridge on Fi iday even ing which served to bear out this fact and give uumistakeable evidence of the want of laws to deal m ith the social as well as the national constitution of the natives. Four "new-chums" of an aristociatic tendency, and evidently bent on seeing natural romance arrived by the evening coach, and proceeded almost immediately to the native camp at the lower end of the town. Having foimed the acquaintance of Tawhiao before leaving London, and fiaternised in the great metropolis with the dusky monarch of the antipodes, they weie seized with the desire to see these inteiesting people in this natural state, and in the home of their forefathers. Securing the services of a competent agent on Friday evening they conveyed to the natives their gicat desire to &cc them pei form their native haka or wardance in oithodox fettle, and, as on inducement, pioueeded right away to the ordering of a large supply of biandy which was administeied to thefairperformeisin liberal doses. About fifty natives icsponded to the invitation, and seven o'clock found them in hue figure and full vvoiking order in the leading thorouglifaie. Anyone who has seen a haka or a wardance "well knows the extravagances of verse composition, stjlc and attitude which it attends. The contractions of limbs, the contortion of visages, the grotesque gestuies and suggestive postures, of which the perfotmanceis mainly composed, wire executed in a style on Friday evenirg which could not fail to satisfy the most voluptuous. Every sincle item was executed to advantage. .Nothing was deficient, and the sightseers appealed eminently satisfied with their bargain. Even Mr Biyce would not have failed to enjoy the spectacle. The visitois were gieatly pleased with the pioficiency displayed by the natives in tho tatooing ait, and on Saturday engaged one of the Maon adepts to execute certain designs ou theii respective bodies.