jit« triven by the settlers with great jimlT Sn 4 heartiness yesterday. Some 2000 paoiile V.ere m-«*ep,t, of v h W * lar SP proportion «&» ¥“?»?. gwf L-inlfling of fW the leading residents of tn« Vy airarapa Valley yepe present in force. The return - Wes ifl- S*WW spot n? * h o original, ' -'wwt gf mains ‘-Hib, end itfee k.S'Fa-tfq-? flPrd - th*gg if.eps jyore a ‘ tin, efftJf * ".«d

under tht> preserved in the gnai os. In the morning protection from the cold, and

noon a shade from the heat. A'large

influential committee had undertaken the matter, and had handed over the arrange ments toasub-oommitteeconsistingof Messrs Mathews, Hegarty, T. H. Wood, J, S. Izard, James Donaldand M. Button, with Mr Bock for secretary, upon whose inde fatigable care the whole of the arrange ments of the day seemed to devolve, and to whose energy and attention to detail the success of the proceedings was greatly due. A committee of ladies assisted with great success, doing very good work during the day. Lunch under the trees was like the lunch of the Maoris, simply plenty and profusion. Before the company sat down a few friendly words between visitors and guests broke out into a regular fire of speeches, all unstudied and much to the point. Mr Mathews welcomed the visitors and honoured the Maori guests. The chief Tamahau took the oppor tunity to announce that the Natives had determined to make their picnic an annual fixture, and that they had selected the 18th January for the date.
