Marriage Of Terito Pa Ariki

In Rarotonga

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Aug. 28

THE most interesting Rarotongan wed ding in many years was celebrated on August 20, when the young chieftainess Terito i Terai Tai Te Ariki, was married to M. Georges Tamarua Peyroux, a son of the late M. Jean D.

Peyroux.

Terito Pa Ariki, as she is more com monly known, is chieftainess of the his toric Ngatangiia district, which is the ancestral settlement of the great Poly nesian warrior-navigator Tangiia, who led the first Polynesians who landed in Rarotonga and from whom Terito is a direct descendant.

Terito went to New Zealand at the age of 11 and after completing her edu cation at Hukurere College, Napier, she was employed on the staff of the Native Land Court until she returned to Raro tonga in 1944 at the age of 21 to claim her hereditary title. Her father died when she was a child.

The young chieftainess has poise and dignity and made a charming bride.

The wedding ceremony, conducted by the Rev. W. G. Murphy, took place in the LMS church at Ngatangiia, which stands near to the lagoon and faces the surf edged passage through which many great sailing canoes came and went on the epic voyages of the past.

Five bridesmaids and two flower girls attended the bride. Best man was Mr.

Wm. H. Watson, whose wife is a sister of the bridegroom.

A large number of European residents including the Resident Commissioner, Mr. W. Tailby with Mrs. Tailby, attended the ceremony and were afterwards enter tained at the reception organised by the Pa Ariki and Makea Nui Ariki families.

Congratulatory messages were received from the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Fraser and Mr. A. G. Osborne (Par liamentary Secretary) and Mrs. Osborne.

During the afternoon the bride and bridegroom sat on the verandah and re ceived presents of mats, decorated bed spreads and other gifts from the Raro tongans which were presented with

flourish and speech-making in the trad itional manner The following evening a large number of European and Rarotongan guests at tended a ball and supper at the Royal Hall at the invitation of the family of the bridegroom.