MAORIS IN LONDON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2352, 19 November 1908, Page 2

MAORIS IN LONDON.

AN OLD-TIME VISIT

In liis “Curiosities of Natural His* tory” Mr Frank Buckland gives an interesting account of a visit of some Maori chiefs to England, wliicli may be old enough to be new to tlie present generation of colonial readers. It was in July, 1864, that Mr Buckland saw these Maori chiefs perform some of their dances at the Loudon Alhambra- and made their acquaintance. He was so pleased with them that lie invited them to lunch the next day at Ibis house in Albany Street-. When they arrived -at Mr Buck-land’s residence, the warlike chiefs became as shy and timid us children, and to add to the general* awkwardness, their host knew -nothing of their 'language and could only show his -willingness to be 'agreeable by •gesticulations- and smiles. After lunch the host showed them some New Zealand hatchets and other curiosities he possessed, and then, in an, unfortunate moment, he thought of a present he had just received, and opened a box containing some thirtysix live slow-worms and placed one- on tlie floor. The-effect was startling in the extreme. “In. an instant,” says Mr Buckland, “the whole scene was changed; the Now Zealanders in a moment threw off their civilised manners and were instantly savages again j they looked -first .at- me and then at the slow-wonn on the floor, and then, uttering loud veils and 'a so-und which I conceived io he tlie war-cry, the whole party went hel-ter-skelter down the- stairs back into tlie dining-room. The- window was open, ;and away they went into the little -garden at the back of the house, like a- pack of hounds breaking cover, filling the air with what the French sportsman calls “tapage d’enfer.’ ” ‘ It was some time before Air Bnck-land could induce his visi-

tors to return. It turned out that it was the .-resemblance of the slowworms to- lizards, dreaded by the Maoris :as the incarnations of evil deities, that hud caused the chiefs to ilec helter-skelter through the neighbours’ -gardens. Luckily, they were loon reassured, and before the afternoon was out they were shown -round the Zoo, and even rode on an. elephant, which they voted “kapai.” They and tlieir host parted the best of friends, in spite of tlie slow-worm incident.