27. The Maoris Entertain the Wrathalls. At this stage Pawai joined them and accompanied them to their seats in the meeting house. When all were seated there was an ecclesiastical turn of events: two dim torch lights were lit directly behind Pawai and as the torches were dipped in shark oil they produced a blue incandescent light which shone on a carved figure head facing the audience. This carving represented their God and midst perfect serene silence an elderly gentleman stood up behind Pawai and, with head bowed down, led a South Sea Island changing prayer in which the whole congregation took part. This was followed by their national hymn sung in perfect harmony, the wide range of voices in this huge muster producing such a harmonised volume of musical voices that the effect would never be forgotten and probably never heard beyond the Polynesian Empire in The fourth Sea Island homes. Before Mr. Wrathall was called upon to speak Pawai arranged for twelve of the Ngatitautahi chorus girls to give a display of poi dancing. The lined out in extended form, a sufficient distance apart to allow for the swinging of the poi balls. Immediately behind them stood twelve of the picked singers of the Maori male choir and in perfect harmony the voices blended in their Maori canoe song, to which the women folk swung their poi balls. Occasionally the women folk joined I the singing while they kept time to the proceedings with the click and reverse of the poi balls. This was the first time the act was performed in the presence of the white men and Pawai said that he had put this turn on to show what his people were capable of doing in the way of entertainment and he hoped his white visitors had enjoyed it. Mr. Wrathall was then asked to give his reply to the mornings proceedings. Mr. Wrathalls reply was as follows: 28: Wrathall Praises His Hosts. To Pawai, your associates, colleagues and members of your noble tribe. I feel moved at the outset to extend to you my heartiest congratulations for the masterly manner in which you delivered your address this morning. I was much inspired by the noble sentiment that dictated your utterances and while I realise that your people are environed by your own methods and teaching for centuries past, not having had an opportunity to initiate an advanced state of old world civilisation as an ideal to live up to, I concluded as you moved on in your wonderful address that there was something in the theory advanced that your people were probably the remnant of the worlds lost tribes, who were driven out of their original homeland by the then proprietary and capitalising influences. These were out at suppress at all costs anything of a socialistic or communistic asture, which mode of existence was said to have existed within the communities comprising those great people who were expelled and the influences that were responsible for their exile cared not where they went, and they are merely spoken of in international references as the lost tribe. Your method of life here in the fair land of your adoption serves to endorse that theory when I find that you adopt community production for your people and your mode of living generally is perfectly communistic. Records show that the lost tribe was found guilty of plotting against individualism, hence their removal as they were a menace to so called society. Again, your art, is illustrated in that magnificent carved figured head behind you also this carving on the trellised lintel at the approach to your meeting house, gives the impression that the art is South Asiatic very similar to the great carvings of Burma and Siam. You will pardon me for making this reference but I am expressing a thought that is flashing through my mind at the moment and because in my flight of imagination I can almost visualise your great ancestors after expulsion moving down through South Asia and remaining a sufficient period en route to adopt the Burmese and other arts of carving that this handy work of yours in part resembles. One can easily imagine your migration from the shores down through the Polynesian Seas, first to the island groups and then on to New Zealand. I merely make this statement now because it may have significance in after yours when the history of your people will be recorded for posteritys able paper, and in your own interest, as well as ours, it will be well to try and discover your origin, your peripatetic wanderings and your destiny as you now form part of the gret British Empire. The very fact of a community of people being forced to wander through holding strong social reformation ideals must remain as a standing disgrace to international civilisation and I am sure that it would not be tolerated today in any part of the world. William Pitt had become famous as a statement about the time of my leaving England and I shall never forget his noble reply when Fox taunted him that France was the natural foe of England. Pitt said that nursing grievances was weak and childish and by a process of evolution the tempers of nations were changing and that must reflect as a turning point in the history of the human race. Love of mankind is becoming world wide characteristic to try and realise that the welfare of individual nations can only be secured by the general welfare of the whole world. Pitt was a lovable man and admired by the British speaking world for his human deeds, efforts and actions and I am sure that those noble sentiments expressed by him will be retained in the memory of the Anglo-saxons and he will ever be remembered as Englands greatest humanitarian statesman. Your utterances this morning when welcoming us were equal in both sentiment and eloquence, and from oratorical comparison, you excelled him, Englands most eloquent orator of his day. Pitt was my ideal as a statesman and we both belonged to the same school of political thought. While I am prepared to hold him up as an ideal statesman and a great humanitarian, I realise that you have attained the greater achievement as Pitt has better opportunities in view of the fact that he had the literature of Adam Smith to guide him and he seized that opportunity by the adoption of the principles contained in that great writers book, The Wealth of Nations; this was practically the foundation of Pitts great humane policy of Englands Industrial Advancement. You, Sir, have not had that chance so when I followed you in your address and found that you ? such humanitarian sentiment regarding the welfare of the rank and file of your people, I knew it was the result of inheritance in your case which further served to convince me that you are the remnant of that great socialistic community that was driving away by the opposing interests of those far back days only to be referred to as the lost tribe. Having made these references by way of prelude, I would now like to extend the thanks of my son and myself through you, Sir, to your tribal kinsmen for the kind invitation to be present at this great gathering which will live ever green in our memories. I thank you also for your eulogistic remarks concerning us. They were very flattering I am sure and I hardly think we fully deserve such a magnificent Pat on the back. However, we accept them in the spirit in which you have them and will do our best to live up to these fine sentiments you expressed regarding the harmonious mingling of ourselves with your very fine people. I presume we are the first white men to be permitted to become domiciled in your midst we have neither seen nor heard of the white man treading unmolested on your shores, with the exception, of course, of our friend the interpreter so I conclude that our party can claim the distinction of being designated as pioneers; that being so, we will be pleased to do our best to convince you that the white man will prove no menace to your lives or customs and as is traditional with the British Empire expansion we would be failing in our duty if we did otherwise than that which our Anglo-Saxon civilisation dictates, Honour Our Kith and Kin. Now regarding your glowing references to my benevolence I would like to state that I do not feel worthy of such praise as I realise that mine is a very meagre response to the great opportunities you have placed in my way. You have given me an area at Taipa on which to establish business that I may carry on a trading concern both with you own people and also with the outside world; and further you have placed at my disposal you fine areas of timber at Taipa and also another belt overlooking this magnificent port of Mangonui, with which I can provide a continuous freight for my vessels. This act has placed my son, Stephen, on the pathway to success and your further gift of that fine tract of country at Oruru given my son John also an opportunity to establish a pastoral business. He should on that very fine country be able to run upwards of two thousand cattle. That places both my sons in a very happy and prosperous position and the thanks are due to your generosity which I shall never forget, so do not look upon me as a great philanthropist, you, Sir, are the greater of the two. I might state here that I have come to New Zealand for the purpose of settling my sons and to open a trade connection overseas, and without the help and sanction of your people I realised that my desires could not have been accomplished, but having now fulfilled my hopes, I feel that I owe a debt of gratitude to you; therefore any donations I may have made in the past or may make in the future are due to the fact that I have already received the equivalent from you and I hand them over as compensation in recognition of your most valued assistance. 29. Wrathall Accepts Maraes Hand for Stephen. Now, Sir, turning to the romantic aspect where you offered the hand of one of your noble women to my son, Stephen, I realise that from your viewpoint you were departing from you traditional custom in offering royal blood to a commoner. I thoroughly appreciate the position as that is a world wide custom and is held sacred by all nations in northern civilisation and when you made the offer I felt that if you held royal birth right traditions as sacred as in the case beyond the equatorial zone then you were making a great sacrifice. As you suggested, I conferred with my son during the luncheon adjournment and, after giving the matter due consideration, I have to reply on his behalf that he thanks you for the noble offer you have made of the hand of the Chieftainess, Marae, and that he is willing to accept her hand in the holy bonds of matrimony. Beyond that I have nothing more to say other than that I hope the union will be a happy one and that it will be the forerunner to a reconciliation between the Maori and the white race. Just before taking my seat, I would like to state that when you made reference to the elopement of Hinemoa and Tutanekai it carried me back to my own early life when I eloped from England with my then fiance now my wife. The romance of those days was reflected as you told the story of your historical elopement and the subsequent loss of their royal birth rights. In our case our actions did not affect other than ourselves and our domestic family associations: we were commoners and the nation was not concerned, while that of Hinemoa and Tutanekai affected the royal blood and was consequently national from your point of view. Romances of that nature have happened in all parts of this great world and the only advice I have to offer on that count is for the parties concerned to accept the inevitable and try to live it down. 30. Wedding Preparations Begin. Pawai rose and said that he was pleased to listen to such a wide range of subjects an expounded by his white friend concerning the outside world and to hear that the offer of the natives concerning the marriage was accepted. He would now suggest that the meeting adjourn and that Mr. Wrathall and his son attend a special meeting of the Chiefs that night to make definite arrangements for the wedding. At this subsequent meeting Pawai stated that he had held a consultation with the father of Marae Te Inototo and had discussed with him the question of this marriage along with many other matters affecting the two tribes and he had made the offer with the full authority of the Chiefs. The territory of which this Chief holds the mandate was Whakatane and Pawai suggested that they despatch the canoe to get the Chief and his daughter in the morning, as it would take a week to reach Tauranga, a few days would be taken to rest the men and another week for their return journey so that the wedding should take place in about three weeks time. Pawai asked if that arrangement would be satisfactory to all parties. He would like to make the final arrangements that night while all were present because it would take some time to make the necessary arrangements for so important a marriage. Mr. Wrathall said that he would like to suggest that for the purpose of bringing the Chieftainess and her parents to Mangonui, where he presumed the wedding would be solemnised, that he was prepared to place his vessel, the Mary Ann, which he was expecting to arrive back at Taipa within the next few days, at Pawais disposal to bring the party from Tauranga. If Pawai would care to go down and join the party he would arrange for the vessel to call in there, pick him up and then sail for Tauranga. Pawai was overjoyed at the fact that this vessel was to be placed at his disposal and he at once consented to go and all arrangements were made accordingly. Mr. Wrathall further offered to supply the necessary tea, sugar, flour, meat, butter, etc. that would be required for the occasion as his donation towards the function. He said that he was prepared to do that to celebrate the occasion of the first mixed marriage in New Zealand. Pawai thanked him for his generous offer and said that he would see that all arrangements were in hand before he left for Tauranga so that there would be no hitch when he returned with the party. This concluded the meeting and Mr. Wrathall and his son were taken back to Taipa in the canoe. 31. Preparing The Bridal House. The next day he picked a spot for a house for his son to bring the bride and set some of the bush hands to work preparing the site while others were cutting blocks and putting the timber on the job. He had made up his mind to build a four roomed cottage of sawn timber with a shingle roof and in two weeks time the house was built, lined and ceiled. In the meantime, the Mary Ann had arrived back, unloaded, and had gone to Tauranga with Pawai to bring back the bridal party. By the time the vessel had returned, the building was ready for habitation. The window openings were temporarily covered with unblended calico tacked on to overlapping frames to be replaced with glazed sashes which were to arrive later from Australia. The house was completely furnished and painted and it looked very nice and much attracted the attention of the natives. Mr. Wrathall had sent a canoe load of stores to Mangonui in preparation for the wedding so that the cooking arrangements could be carried on in readiness and the native organisation was perfect. Consequently the cooking arrangements were effected without a hitch. 32. Stephen & Marae Wed. When the Party from Tauranga had landed at Mangonui, the Mary Ann went on to Taipa with a message for Mr. Wrathall to bring his son Stephen to Mangonui at twelve o-clock the next day when all arrangements would be in readiness for the wedding immediately on their arrival. This was carried out to the clock and the great day had come. Fortunately the weather conditions were perfect and when Stephen was taken to the great meeting house, which had been beautifully decorated in Maori custom for the occasion, he was introduced to his bride whom he had never previously seen. To his great surprise and delight, he found her to be a most handsome native woman, about twenty years of age, medium height, rather reserved, the picture of health and physique. Her noble and attractive manner told the history of her tribal status as she sat by father, awaiting to be formally handed over in their native customs to this white man to whom he had been betrothed by the Chiefs and Elders of the tribes. Pawai was again the central figure, Mr. Wrathall on his right and the Tauranga Chief, father of the bride, on his left and Stephen standing immediately in front of him. The bride, escorted by two Elders of the tribes, was then led to the latters side. She was robed in the orthodox garments of a Chieftainess, a beautiful flax woven, mauve coloured native costume from waist to ankles and the old time shoulder shroud of alternate black and gold plates thrown across the left shoulder and arm and trimmed with Hue feathers the tribal necklace of shells on which was hung the tribes grindstone pendant, the wedding gift of her father, which is traditional of a native royal wedding, adorning her neck. Pawai then performed the wedding ceremony in real native fashion. At the conclusion of his ceremonial utterances, the natives with heads bowed sang the Maori chanting melody, and Pawai then stepped forward and joined the hands of the newly married couple and the nose rubbing sealed the union of the two. The father came forward and stood by the side of the bride and addressed Stephen at great length but, as this was not interpreted, no further reference was made to his utterances in the old diary. The whole community then marched out of the meeting house and lined upon either side, leaving an exit for the bridal party to walk between the two lines down to the eating house where a great spread had been provided. A Maori war dance was put on by the assembled natives as part of the programme and Mr. Wrathall has described it as a turn that he will never forget. About one thousand natives took part and the whole ground trembled for chains around. It was the first war dance he had seen and it would certainly live evergreen in his memory.