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Show GOT WILD WELCOME MAORIS GREET VI8ITOnB urrru NATIVE CEREMONIES. Proceedings, One Would Imagine, Rather Trying to the Nerves of a Party of Weitern Tourists. A traveler In Now Zealand tells of a native welcomo. Ills party drew near to tho central homo of tho trlbo of Maoris: "As wo rested beneath tho parapets, wo wero startled by a horriblo yell and round tho corner of tho stockado appeared a ferocious figure, tattooed, red-painted, bofeath-ered bofeath-ered nnd nnked, except for n very ' brief waist fringe) of dangling palm ! fiber. Ills oyes rolled till tho whltcB ' only ucro seen, then ho thrust out a long and snaky tonguo and grimaced fearfully. Shaking n wooden spear In his hand, ho swiftly cast It at us, then turned nnd rushed toward tho village. Just as tho spcarsman turned ono of our joung men, who had rapidly divested himself of all but bis waist shawl, darted out In pursuit and wo followed at a moro dignified pace. Tho cntrnnco to tho city wns barred by n body of nrmed men, crouching still ns death, 011 0110 knee, each holding a gun, butt on the ground, barrel sloping townrtl . 1 us Wo advanced until wo wero within twenty paces of tho warriors. ' Then nil at onco, nt n wild cry from a chief on tho right, thoy Jumped tor their feet, leaped high In tho air, with their feet doubled under them like deer, and with ono volco lltor-i ally barked out a thundering chorus. This way and thnt our martial hosts bounded, brandishing their loaded rifles In time to tho chant. Halting; abruptly, with nn earth shaking thud, they fired a olley of ball cartridge over our heads. "Another volley reverberated from hill to hill and tbo bullets whistled over us. Then tho brown warriors fell back nnd a gayly dressed bnnd of women, with green leaves wreathed wreath-ed about their brows, and waving shawls nnd leafy boughs, advanced with a gliding scmldanco and chanted their ancient welcomo Bong. When the women's song ceased, out to tho front danced six girls a group of vividly barbaric, yet not Inharmont- ! ous, color appareled In looso crlm- I son roundabouts and short gowns of I georgeously flowored print, their brows bound about with red handkerchiefs, handker-chiefs, which held in plnco tho black and whlto plumes of tho raro hula bird and tho Iridescent feathers of tho long-tailed cuckoo, their checks dabbed with red oclior paint, greenstone green-stone pendants and shark's teeth hanging from their cars. "Theso barefooted nymphs, hands-on hands-on hips and heads thrown back, glided Into tho mcasuro of a dance, to the music of a shrill monody chanted by a whlto-hatrcd, tattooed old lady. Then all at onco tho chant onded on nn unoxpocted high note and tho performers stopped, breath- ' less and glowing all over with theli self-evolved emotions. Broad flax mats wero spread out for us on the green and after speeches of grcotlng wo wero regaled with pork, preserved birds, wild honoy and potatoes, In quantity sufficient to hnvo satisfied a starving Ilusslnn garrison." |
