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Show FROM NKW ZE.UilM. (Iraphle Account of a 1 llrlma(ie to the "Uul Tait."-Wrlrd anl In-terfitlnc In-terfitlnc Scenes Trrmlnallur nllh a t.rand Maori IVxtt. The anuuat confetanceuco lu New Zealand, or ulIulTau"aa the Maorla term lt,la characterize.! by many novel ftalurn. The place eolacted for hold-Ing hold-Ing conferenca U often a email village, with, apparently, no facllltlea for arcomodallue tbo multllude which uaually Ritberton auch an occaalon. Tbla year the conference waa appoint vilobe held at Ta lUhul, ou the Awanut rlvar, near lh Kaat C'ajc, about 20(1 mile aoulti ot Auckland, and many of tba Halnta htd to miko looft and tedloua trlpa by land and J'.arly In March the Ktdern laUotlu In thwaouth part ot the Iilatil com-mtuced com-mtuced their pllgrlmase northward, tbalr Humbert Imreaili.fr aa they paaaed throujeh tha varlona dUtrlcla ttMoutt. Udera from tho north atartod about tho nmo tlmr, In email com pan lea, lait mitt ot them mat at (Hibjroaon the IJth of Marcli, after traveling alonjc tralli through the tbodenaobruah, or foreati. for aeveral day a. It wata pleaiant light to wltncaa the KlaJaaJ Joyful meetliifc of no many l.ldera from Zloti, all banJed toulhwr bytbetoaof ChrUt, And united In ouaeonimou cjuae, Prcildeut Htawatt headed the flrU comiany accompanied by iU Kldara. Hbortly aftarwarda thocompaulai from the Houlh arrived, until about twenty llldenaud over two hundred Halnta were all aat.emb.ed at tbo Uraach home near U labor ne, Au eojojablo mcettnicor reunion waa held on tbe evening of April let, whe.ro the una of Ion tang for Joy and rejoiced like achool boy a .out for n hollda IleJa ware arrauted for tho accomodation of Ilia vlaltou, one ted containing thirteen thir-teen Kllera covering tho floor of one room. At eunrlveou the morning of tho Jad lint., all were aitlr, pre. urine for the onward Journey, The bell rantf calling tba oampany to morning prayera, and brialfiut, after which thcro wae a ruih for the horaee. IllankuU were rolled and placed ou iheaaddlat and lu a abort time the whole coaipany waa counted, and re ly to rile forth. The acane reminded the ohaotvar of a regiment of cavalry, rulmia tho uniform uni-form i, except that tbo company waa Improved by being oonipoiei of both aexea (many motbera tarrying their habcajand luntiad of the dancing of the weapons of war, thay rlo fjrth tinging the conga of lou or merrily conversing together, Ibey RalloppeU along tho Iwach anl over the mountain moun-tain tralla fur Uilrty-flv ml lea and halted at Cawa for the Btlbath. 1.1-iler 1.1-iler C. V. Taylor waleomed tho vlalt log Hilnte, and all ware aoon accouio-dalod. accouio-dalod. The following day (Hunday) three tiu-etlngawaruhtld, which were well attended. Larlyon Monday tho utual routine of ball rlnglug, prayen, brikfat,etc, waa gone tbroupb, and again tbe pilgrimage pil-grimage waa tea u med. our numbete Jiavlug nearly doubled. The road from ITawa, lo Tokomaru Hay, our next Mopping place, waa over mountain moun-tain trail, where we rodo in tingle file, often along narrow ledgee. patting deepcliatmt and Uiacendiiiij Into tbo tual where tho vegetation wa ao dauto that even one boraeman could carcrly pai through In the evening wr reach Tokomaru, having traveled thirty mllei, where all tbe people united In extending a welcome to ui, and providing us with aupptr, Audrcweof welcome were delivered by tho Itangatlraa or cblefi. In tho meellugbouov, where about three hundred hun-dred pereona woro aatambled. On the mornlngof tbaoth lnt. our mounted cavalcadu agalu rode forth with Increased numlmni, and, reaching reach-ing a little town named Walplru, tbe top!e greeto J ui aa utmal and Inalited upon the company baiting for rufreah-menti. rufreah-menti. Iu a abort time (ana of meat, potatoee anl bread were apread on tho ground and we were aoon oated, doing juatlce to the bounteoua rcpait ao irtely placed before ui. The moit encou raging night wai pre-aonted pre-aonted to ua aa we n tared the little town of Iliruharamt (JaruaaUm) twenty mllea from Iokemaru, wbero all tho people wore oulaldoie, or mam-bere mam-bere of other churobei. ( The Mlailon nry church la built on an eminence, and could U even for mile at we travelled up tbe valley. Aa we aj-rroaclied, aj-rroaclied, tlio Inhabitants aaiembled ou the top of the hill, and for mine dlatanre wo could hear their tonga of welcome and "llatre Mat" (Come here) and eethlr waving haudker-chlalt haudker-chlalt and tboy danced for oy at our approach. Iho Union Jack of Kngland and IhocDloulalllag wiro fljatlng to the breeze, having been holated In honor Of tbevlattora, and at we rode tbree ebrratt up tho hill, the tonga, dancing and waving of haudkurahlefe oou-tlnued. oou-tlnued. and It caused our heartt to beat with gladneat, anl we coult t?arcaly crowd back the tears at receiving am h a cordial recejtlon We ware Invited to remain for the night and our vatt company waa well oared for, The nattvet prepared food and presently a procettlon advanced, tluglng and dancing at they carried dlahet and pane containing an abundance abund-ance of beef, pork, potatoea and juther vegctablea, for nil tho Isidore wero trovlded with a luge houau anl comfortably com-fortably tared for Next muridug the caravan aallled forth from lllruharama towarda To lUhul. A hore man rode ahea 1 with the Union Jaih, and at we neared our deatluatlou our comiany wai mar ehalledlntolltie, four abreaut, "Therucflingliouie wat built oh au eminence a few mllea alidad, near the bttftth, aud the JUngatlra or chief came lofth to walcoinu ut, waving hU haudkerchlaf. Wo rode ateadlly forward, for-ward, four abreaat, to tha brow of the hill where a ttrangu tight ifrcetet ue. Two group ol nuttvei, lu atrange (oatumei, weru atalloned on the pla tiauandour company formttt a aeml-tlrcloarounJ aeml-tlrcloarounJ Ultra, all remaining nn hrrtelack. At we faced thorn In double dou-ble column, tho oaUvea commeuccl their renowned Hal a dance. 1'oruier.y thla waa tbe Maori war dance, and tho natlvet waietbut drilled and worked tiptuattato of fronxy prior to going forth to battle., It la now repeatud aud accompanied with eungeof welcome for thu enter-talnmrntbf enter-talnmrntbf vlellora. Cue of thoKroura on thlt oca.lni wat composed of Latter-day Halnta and the otberi wens mem tore of what h kuuwn at the MUoIonaryJ'rMirch.anauxlllarjoftho Church of I.Bg'anJ. The dance commenced by about twentj.flve Maori women going through various exercise, accompany-htg accompany-htg all thulr quaint genturea with na'.lveaonge of erecting. Tboy wore datk tklrU and light walita di rotated with colored rllboua. After going through tbla talltthenla drill for tome time, the woman retreated an I we beheld be-held aboul fifty meu crouching or lying prostrate on tbe ground. Ibey were naked with the txcttloa or a short skirt around thu loins. Huddeuly they sprang up with a yell which ai-nioit ai-nioit caused tho ipw tators to snuddar. This was followed by dancing anl singing, which waa conducted with great preclalou, and tbe contortions of thtlrbodUsnero truly sur rising. It wat a weird scene. The waves of the oceau dashing on the Leach within a few rods ol ua contributed fitting ao-corawinlnient ao-corawinlnient lothejellt aud excllfd countenances of the pcrformeri. At Hints the armi were ont.ttctcl.fi. defiant altitudes .were assumeJ, aud their rolling em and extended tongues almost terrified the lookers on. Tho performauco lasted about au hour, after which our company Ul-tiiouutcd, Ul-tiiouutcd, unsaddled tha horses aud com mm co J a tour of Impaction greet. Ing the Halnta vrlth the usual "hongl" or tioerubblng, To lUhul la a very small village, ronUltig a fow Maori huts, but all tbe Malnta of the district had co-operated to provide for tbe accommodation of the hundreJswho were expected to conference. con-ference. The meeting houae. or Wharv, Is built In Maori ty!, the front being deoorated with tarved flgureaauJ palnteJ In variatta cil ra. I lie lb or lt.elde was covered with wharlkt, or Ilax mats, wntc.i the cou Kregatlon all upon In prefttence tt chairs or benches Ita seating capacity la raid to be alxmt AO), and It Is fantastically fan-tastically deoorated InUJo with ctrvtnl panel aud woven reede. The Iiouh, Is seventy fMt lone by thirty wide and It substantially built of lumber. A large dining room had been bull' for the oct. anion abiUt lMlut-gby ffi) feet wtde. A table had been made extending ex-tending from ono end of the building tu the other and capable of nccotntno dating 100 parsons at a sitting. We were called to supper, and about thai number were eoou seated around tbe festive board. White table clotbea weresproad and mutton, ork, bvef, rdum puddings, cake, etc, were served n true Kuropuaq style, 'Ibe native waiters are vary prompt and courteous and, though many of tbe modern a pp) Knees ware lacking, we enjoyed our feast at wall as though served lu the dining halls of Halt I.ake hotels. Instead of alaottlc bella, cords ware strung from tbedlulng-reom to tbe Improvised kitchen behind, which rung bells In the various departments notifying the cooks when frith sup-pllts sup-pllts were needed. It waa estimated thatabsut five hundred hun-dred pwioue were feJ at each meal the first day and the rsAdcrs of the Mws can readily surmise that a vast amount of provisions were consumed. At the cloae of the conference we Icarnvd thai the commissariat department bad disposed dis-posed of 13 btevts, Ul Shtep, 3t hoga, 1 tons of flour, 15 tuns of swettand Irish i-otatoei, -t doxert Woue.twr sauce, 1 large keg of butter, 0 doieu caaea of Jam. 1 ton of ajgsr, I) case baking jrowder, besides a large quantity quanti-ty of currants, radio', etc. All totners were msda welcome, nn J Itwa certainly the largest and inat united reunion yourcorreapondent has ever attended, Huch kind hosrted hospitality la a characterlsllo feature of the Maori people, and they evIJently retain some of thu trails of character postosaed by ancient Israol la their many pilgrim aget. "Piwrsiac" roitiitUA, Wtlllngtoti. . 'A,, April 20th, 1S02. |