Big Day For Mangaia
p. 65 · Read in the full issue
Vice-Regal Visit To Outpost
From Our Own Correspondent MANGAIA, in the Outer Cooks, has few visitors and seldom such dis tinguished visitors as Sir Bernard Freyberg, Governor-General of New Zea land, and Lady Freyberg.
Therefore, when the vice-regal party came to the island on July 8, it was a Big Day all round.
When His Majesty’s cruiser “Bellona” broke the usual quiet of the morning with the sound of naval guns, the RA of Mangaia, Major W. H. Ryan, left in the big, seldom-used Administration boat for an official call on board and about 9.30 the vice-regal party was ferried ashore.
Here Sir Bernard and Lady Freyberg were given a rousing welcome in true Maori fashion.
The smart and tuneful marches played by the ship’s band, which had taken up its position on the parade-ground, greatly pleased the Islanders who seldom hear this type of music, and created something of a circus atmosphere for the exhibition of Maori arts and exercises.
The display included an exhibition of “ae” or cat’s-cradle of remarkably diverse designs performed with equally remark able rapidity (at Mangaia there are over 20 designs, all traditional .and created out of nothing but the fingers and a piece of thin string). Lady Freyberg was greatly interested in this section of the entertainment prepared in the party’s honour.
The afternoon was given over to vari ous inspections and a reception at the Residency. As usual, there were many amusing and quite unintended “in cidents,” though on this vice-regal occasion no flustered interpreter addressed the visitor as “Lord Jellicoe,” as happened to the late Lord Galway in 1939. But there were not a few lapsa linguae.
Although previously instructed that “How do you do” is correct form as a greeting, some forgot their instructions; and in reply to the Governor-General’s greet ing, one bright youth replied, “I’m all right.”
Sir Bernard and Lady Freyberg and paifty left the island about £.30 but “Bellona” stayed off the coast until dark ness fell. Then rocket after rocket soared up from her decks into the sky to burst in a fall of coloured stars. When the ship’s lights were all switched on, together with the sweep of a giant searchlight which played around the beach and the lower cliff, all who watched were agreed that it had. indeed, been Mangaia’s “Big Day.”