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deeply disgraced the land, are generally suppressed. It was customary, at no distant period, for the relations of a departed chief to kill a number of slaves, male and female, as a satisfaction to his ghost, and in order that they might do him service in the world of spirits. Fears were entertained that at the death of Hongi, their most distinguished leader, many victims would be immolated to their cruel superstition; but so complete a change has taken place in the feelings and principles of the natives, that not one of his retainers was demanded by the priests.

Nothing can be more agreeable to those who are interested in the welfare of a people still in the earliest stage of civilisation, than to be informed that their wandering, thievish propensities are gradually giving way to more settled, honest, and industrious habits. They are now inclined to build better habitations for their households, and to connect the enjoyment of comfort with the idea of home. A deserted village is now rarely observed. Every where the men are seen cultivating the ground or improving their dwellings, while the women are employed in some way calculated to be beneficial to themselves or their families. Religion has taught them to extend their interests into the future; to reflect on the past, and to anticipate events for which they now labour to prepare the way; in a word, to discharge the functions of reason with reference to their own well-being in this world and the next. The rulers of these little nations already perceive the benefits of knowledge, and more especially of the arts. "What are these missionaries come to dwell with us for ?" asked one of them when contemplating the important changes which were taking place under their auspices. Answering himself, he said, "they are come to break our clubs and establish peace." Again, following up his own idea, he subjoined, "they are come to break our clubs in two-to blunt the points of our spears-to draw the bullets from our muskets and to make this tribe and that tribe love one another, and sit down as brothers and friends."*

*Yate's New Zealand, p. 206.

The advantages of religious knowledge having become so manifest, new stations were established in various places, in particular, at Kaitai and Puriri, on the Thames, both fertile and very improvable districts. The former is placed in a beautiful valley, situated nearly at an equal distance from the eastern and western coasts; the island at this point being so narrow, that the roaring of the surf on both beaches can be distinctly heard. In connexion with this settlement, there are many natives who can be regularly visited; and they themselves have cut roads in order to facilitate their intercourse with the missionaries, whose instructions they highly value. In regard to the other, it is mentioned that the banks of the Thames are remarkably fruitful. Thousands of acres of the finest flax flourish there undisturbed; and nothing but machinery is wanted to render this production extremely valuable. Farther up are found large fields of potatoes and corn, the result of European cultivation, interspersed with native villages, where the rural labourers reside.

Preparatory to the founding of these infant churches in the northern island, two of the brethren travelled over a large extent of country, visiting all the harbours on the western coast as far southward as Albatross. They found that all of them except Manukau were greatly obstructed at the entrance by dangerous bars, on which the sea almost constantly breaks, while the depth of water was too scanty to admit ships of any considerable burden. They crossed many large rivers, which seemed to pass through fertile lands, inhabited by a numerous population, and composing part of the district called Waikato. Here, as in other sections of the island, where the natives do not live in fortifications for security, they are found to reside in villages at the distance of a few miles one from the other. Their cultivated spots are still more scattered, upon the principle every where adopted, that should they be attacked by what they call a stripping party, only one portion of their food may be carried away, and that they may still have something to depend upon, after their enemies have removed every thing that they appeared to possess.

"We are now," says Mr Yate, "become pretty well acquainted with the number of inhabitants in all parts of the country, from the North Cape as far south as Table Cape; and the time is not far distant when we may hope to extend our researches as far as Entry Island, in Cook's Straits; and shall thus soon know the whole of the northern island of New Zealand, in the length and in the breadth thereof. Every effort is now made to discover, and to bring into service, the resources of the country itself, that we may be enabled to form new and distinct stations, without incurring much additional expense. By this method also the natives themselves will be materially benefited, as the work will be accomplished principally by their agency; and they will see that their land affords them many necessaries, as well as some other articles of luxury, with which they now supply themselves from other nations, at a very large expense of labour or of property,-labour which might be much better applied, and property which might be turned to far better account."*

The most satisfactory account of the New Zealand mission, and of the fruits produced by their labours, is found in a narrative which was addressed to the directors by the Bishop of Australia, who visited the colony in the year 1839. At every station which he personally inspected, the converts were so numerous as to bear a considerable proportion to the entire population. He states, that in most of the native villages where the missionaries have obtained a footing, there is a building, containing one room, superior in fabric and dimensions to the ordinary dwellings, which appears to be set apart as their place of assembling for religious worship, or to read the Scriptures, or to receive the exhortations of their spiritual teachers. In these edifices generally, but sometimes in the open air, the christian classes were assembled be

*Page 269. In the Appendix to his little volume, the author has annexed a variety of letters which he had induced the natives to write to him on religious subjects. Some of these are very interesting as the first efforts of untutored minds.

fore him. The grayhaired man and the aged woman took their places to read, and to undergo examination, among their descendants of the second and third generations. The chief and slave stood side by side with the holy volume in their hands, and exerted their endeavours each to surpass the other in returning proper answers to the questions put to them concerning what they had been reading. These assemblages he encouraged on all occasions, not only from the pleasure which the exhibition itself afforded, but because he was thereby enabled in the most certain and satisfactory way to probe the extent of their acquirements and improvement. The experience thus obtained induced him to apply the term "converts" to those alone who, in the apparent sincerity of their convictions, and in the extent of their information compared with their limited opportunities, might be considered Christians indeed.*

As the missionaries employed in those islands were, generally speaking, members of the English establishment, the committee in London had opened a communication with the bishop just mentioned, in order to establish, through his instrumentality, "such an exercise of the episcopal functions as the nature of the case would admit." It was in some degree in consequence of this application that he proceeded thither, hoping, as he expresses it," to set in order the things which are wanting, and to confirm the native converts in their adherence to the doctrines of that church whose teaching first conveyed to them the glad tidings of redemption." The directors did not lose sight of that important object: on the contrary, they expressed a unanimous concurrence in the opinion which he conveyed to them, after his professional visitation to New Zealand, that "the Church of England requires to be planted there in the full

Proceedings of the Church Missionary Society, 1840, p. 85. According to this Report, the mission consists of 8 missionaries, 1 surgeon, 1 farmer, 1 superintendent of press, 1 printer, 17 catechists, 3 artisans and other assistants, 2 female teachers, and 43 native teachers.

integrity of its system." It is probably known to most of our readers that the desire here expressed has been cheerfully met on the part of the government, who, a few months ago, sanctioned the appointment of a bishop to New Zealand, now formally recognised as a colony under the protection of the crown.

The stations, which bear some reference to the fourteen districts into which the northern island may be conveniently divided, amount to nearly the same number. The extent of the several congregations may be estimated from the following statement, supplied by one of the ministers in a recent communication to the board in this country :—

Kaitaia, in which chapels are erected at every principal point, averages....

Bay of Islands, including Wangaroa,....

Thames, comprehending both sides of the firth,..

Tauranga, with Matamata and Maungatautari,..
Rotorua, including the central parts of Taupo,..
Bay of Plenty, Opotiki, Toure, and Motu,....
East Cape,....

Poverty Bay, including Hauna,..

Wairoa, partially visited, has no return.

Entry Island, under the instruction of native teachers.
Waikato, divided by churchmen and Wesleyans.
Taranaké, Hokianga, and Kapiti, not returned.

The summary

Stations,..

.1020

.1940

700

..1000

...1400

500

.1200

.1000

of the mission is given as follows:

[blocks in formation]

12

233

..8760

72

163

159

.1245

229

-1796

It is not maintained by the missionaries that all who rank as Christians are either sincere or well-informed. Mr King, one of their number, remarks, that "many of those who make a profession of the gospel relapse for a time, and then come forward again; so that they do not give satisfactory evidence of their sincerity, and thereby

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