“King Hongi” meets King George IV.

The pair of tattooed New Zealand-ers, wearing for the occasion their finest native garments, were presented to King George IV, with whom they shook hands.

“How do you do, Mr. King George?” said Hongi, as he bowed to the King.

“How do you do, Mr. King Hongi?” was the good-natured monarch's reply.

The King gave the chiefs courtesy titles. Waikato was styled “Prince Waikato.” Hongi and he were each given, among other presents, gold-mounted double-barrel flintlock guns on which their names were engraved. These weapons, the best makes procurable at that time, were particularly acceptable to King Hongi and Prince Waikato. They soon came in useful in battle.

The interview with Royalty did not tend to promote humility in the two chiefs. It is related in the just-published reminiscences of the celebrated Danish trader Hans Tapsell, of Maketu^* that Waikato and his brother Wharepoaka made much of the honour they achieved. Their sister was Tapsell's second wife. Waikato would say to Tapsell, “Who are you? I have shaken hands with the King and you would not be allowed even to see him.”

A picture of the two chiefs, with their missionary friend, Mr. Kendall, was painted while they were in England. This painting became the property of the Church Mission Society. It was presented to the New Zealand Government about twenty years ago, and it has been in the care of the Tourist Department ever since. When the new National Museum and Art Gallery in Wellington is ready, the historic picture will be hung there. The late Major-General Gordon Robley, from whose pencil and pen came many valuable sketches of Maori life, and especially of moko or tattooing, in 1864-65, made a black-and-white drawing of Hongi, from this painting, and he sent me the drawing, here reproduced.