212 PROCESSION TO CHURCH. 



old ones especially. At the door below, a crowd 

 had assembled, attracted by curiosity to see me 

 and their Queen drive out together. The young 

 men in harness shouted for joy, and patiently 

 waited the signal for the race. Some delay, 

 however, occurred in taking our seats with suit- 

 able dignity. The carriage was very small, and 

 my companion very large, so that I was fain to 

 be content with a seat upon the edge, with a 

 very good chance of losing my balance, had not 

 her Majesty, to obviate the danger, encircled my 

 waist with her stout and powerful arm, and thus 

 secured me on my seat ; our position, and the 

 contrast presented by our figures, had no doubt 

 a sufficiently comical effect. When we were at 

 length comfortably settled, the Governor Chi- 

 nau came forth, and with no other addition than 

 a round hat to the costume already described, 

 mounted a meagre unsaddled steed, and off we 

 all went at full gallop, the Queen taking infinite 

 pains to avoid losing me by the way. The 

 people came streaming from all sides, shouting 

 " Aroha maita r — our team continually increas- 

 ing, while a crowd behind contended for the 

 honour of helping to push us forward. In this 



