CHAPTER XVIII. ADVANCES AND CHANGES.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
ADVANCES AND CHANGES.
THE previous chapter embraces a space of about ten years--from 1850 to 1860. At the beginning of this time the people came to church unwashed and uncombed. The dresses were various, but not elegant. It was a time of transition from Maori to European customs. It attracted no attention if a man went to church with merely a shirt and waistcoat and nothing else. At the end of this time this would not be allowed to happen. All came washed and combed, in clean and respectable European attire. If some clothes were patched, it was done neatly, and it did not look at all bad if the patches were of a variety of colours. The dwellings were so constructed that cleanliness and respectability could be maintained in them. The cooking, too, was done in a civilized manner. The standard of health had been so far raised that the birth rate was higher than the death rate.
The following space of time, in which our previously wild Maoris emerged from the low scale of society in which they had so shortly before lived and became fit to rank with Europeans, will soon bring my recollections to a close.
Religious and social advances continued to go on in a quiet way, but neither old nor young could forget that in their uncivilized life they had far less to do, whilst now they had to be constantly at work. The old ones were, and naturally remained, narrow in their spiritual conceptions; for that reason they paid more attention to the form of religion than to a free spirit of inward
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piety. A younger generation, better instructed and with wider views, now grew up, but in them more worldliness appeared than real piety. A taste for cleanliness and neatness soon expanded into a love of fine clothes and new fashions. New pleasures were introduced--namely, a love of music and riding. The women, too, were very good riders. This might well be considered innocent pleasure; still, the thoughts became worldly, necessary labour was often neglected, and hardly-earned money could have been better spent than on gaudy ornaments. But still the worldliness of the young people, with Christian life and conduct, was far preferable to the early uncleanness and ignorance of the old people. As I have just mentioned dancing, I am reminded that so far I have said nothing of the old heathen Maori dance. It appears all nations dance. It must, therefore, be implanted in human nature, just as music, poetry, and other human gifts are. The principal dance among the heathen Maori was the war dance. If an open battle was to be fought (a different thing from a treacherous ambush), when the armies were opposed to one another they endeavoured to raise their spirits by a song and rythmic movements. The song became louder and the movements more vigorous, but always keeping true time, till their courage rose to madness. Then the armies rushed on one another in mad rage, and a furious slaughter was the result. Such battles were mostly of short duration. Here in the south, on my arrival, only the friendly dance for pleasure was in use. Still, this was akin to the war dance. Women could take part in it; arms and breast were bare. It began with a movement of the arms and head, to the accompaniment of a low song. So far, there was a certain grace in it. Soon the song became loud and harsh; the movements were more vigorous, and extended over the whole body, whilst the features were dreadfully distorted. Sounds were produced by slapping and striking the naked arms and breast with the hands, similar to those which would be made in throwing deadly weapons at an enemy. They made a gurgling and rattling in the throat, such as fallen enemies might make. The whole ended in loud laughter. In Christian times such dances were no longer used. The European settlers were accustomed to dance,
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and the Maoris, when they had an opportunity, looked on, and were pressed to join in the dance, which they did, and thus learnt. Young men who had served as sailors and seen foreign cities brought back simple musical instruments with them, on which they could play a little. In this way the European dance was introduced into the Maori villages, and performed by both sexes with appropriate modesty.
I have already said there was an export of wheat and potatoes from our little island. Later on that of cattle and riding horses was added to it, which were taken away by coasting schooners to the European settlers. Still, this could not go on for ever, for as new farming operations were entered upon on the opposite coast our Maoris could not compete with the experienced Europeans, and their products found, therefore, less sale. Still the export, as long as it lasted, had to a certain extent set our Maoris on their legs. We had, therefore, to look around for other branches of industry. For a time wheat was still grown for our own use, but in the course of time even this was given up. Inhabitants of small islands always by nature prefer the sea to the land, and those of Ruapuke made no exception. In consequence of this it happened that every Autumn a great many young fat mutton birds were caught on the many uninhabited islands of this district. These were preserved and were in great request amongst the Maoris living in the north, as there are none there. In the early times our southern Maoris could only send a few in their open boats, and that not without danger. But now all along the coast there were European settlements, and little vessels went from place to place, and goods could be safely sent by the merchants. The Maoris, therefore, found it much more convenient to salt down a large quantity of these mutton birds and send them north, receiving for them in exchange either money or money's worth in flour, sugar, and such like, than with great labour to raise wheat and grind it in their mill. Industry and co-operation found thus its equivalent.
The island of Ruapuke, on account of its many rocks and boulders which lie in all directions, is but poorly adapted for the plough. On the other hand, the soil (granite formation), when the
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heights and flats are cleared of the wild growth and sown with good grasses and clover, is well adapted for grazing. For rearing cattle the Maoris showed little inclination. This industry could, therefore, not be carried on to advantage. Rearing sheep might answer better, for these sensible creatures want here but little supervision, as they cannot run away from the island, and there are here no savage animals, and there is no proper Winter. When I came back from a journey, during which I had some dealings with European settlers, I brought as a present for my daughter, then a little child, a few lambs as playthings for her. These soon grew to sheep and did so well that their number doubled every year. In a few years there was, therefore, a flock in view. Still, it was not wise and good that I, as pastor, should keep a flock of sheep here, as not a foot of land belonged to me. I advised the Maoris to buy sheep from the Europeans and bring them across. I should have preferred the whole island commonage to be devoted to it, everyone holding according to his ability. But the common people had little taste for it, as they could not yet see the use of it, and wished to spend their little money some other way. The nobility, however--the high chiefs and their family branches--went into it, and a couple of hundred sheep were bought for them and brought across to the island. I added my few sheep to this flock, and a calculation was made what the respective share of each in the flock was. When, in the course of years, the flock increased, the common people, too, derived benefit from it in earning something for washing, driving, shearing, and handling them; besides, after they had become practised in shearing here, they could go on to the large sheep runs in shearing time and earn good wages. When now the wool of our sheep is sold every year, and the labour and other expenses paid, the money remaining is divided amongst its owners, everyone according to his proportion. (I have only a small portion.) This makes it possible for me, with my scanty income, to live here, and, further, it is right that I should derive a portion of my subsistence from the Maoris, even though done indirectly.
Amongst the old Maoris the desire to become Christians arose from an upright heart, even though with little knowledge,
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because it filled the void of heart from which they suffered. With the younger ones, the now growing generation, who were the most numerous, as the older ones were dying off, it was less a matter of heart. It was enough for them that they belonged to a Christian community, as it were, by inheritance. Their conduct was always that of Christians. It could not be expected that the first zeal of new converts should always continue. In the north of New Zealand, where the Maoris were more numerous than here, the reaction became the more noticeable, and prophets arose who considered themselves inspired and specially called. These endeavoured to give Christianity a form amongst the Maoris according to their own ideas. None attempted to cast it off again. Later, when a few people rebelled against the English Government, there were not wanting Maori prophets who preached rebellion and promised victory, and so disfigured Christianity that it suited their wild notions. As it was to their interest to get all the Maori tribes to adopt their views and join their party, some of such prophets came to the south. They adopted the European title of doctor, because they claimed to be able to heal the sick. But our Maoris were such faithful subjects of the English Government, and such simple Christians, that if they wished to find listeners amongst them they had to preach biblical Christianity. By it, too, they knew how to test their alleged power of working miracles in the way of healing the sick. This naturally aroused curiosity. The standard of health, in consequence of the improved manner of life, was a good one. Only a few old people, who perhaps suffered from bad digestion, were easily persuaded that they were ill, and after a few days, during which they had to content themselves with very little, and that light food, were represented as being cured. At the same time they knew how to resuscitate the fear of the previous, but now renounced superstitions. Empty old dwellings and ruins of houses, whose previous owners had died, and which had, therefore, a weird aspect, were pointed out with dreadful forebodings as the haunts of unclean spirits. Nightly meetings were held to banish the spirits, and solemnities practised by candlelight which had some sort of resemblance to the holy communion. As some of our communicants had taken part in
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these rites they were excluded from the Lord's table. Since then I have been very careful in the admission of applicants to the communion. I had long seen that the enjoyment of it strengthens the faith of living members, but does not awaken faith in dead ones. Since then we have had only a very small number of communicants.
Such a reaction as we experienced is the rule in human nature. The early spiritual elevation of conversion creates in deeper souls a quiet, truthful spirit, but they are always in danger of falling into temptation, still more so those converted from heathendom.
With superficial persons, however, who are only externally drawn into conversion, it results in a formal and powerless frame of mind. It is true the old superstition, in which the Maoris had been brought up from childhood, was renounced, and that with uprightness of heart, but its deep root had not been torn out of the mind. When these roots were encouraged with great cunning by these false prophets of the north, they shot up into poisonous growth. In those years the standard of health had been a matter for congratulation, but now sickness and death began to work again, and the painful fear of their superstition could be seen to be the cause of it. The sensible Maoris saw this in time, and the false prophets no longer got a hearing and were obliged to absent themselves. Still, it cannot be said that the old superstition is quite rooted out of the heart. In my youth, even in Germany, there was still a great deal of superstition on the subject of witchcraft, wizards, and ghosts, how then could it be expected that Maoris recently converted from a heathendom swarming with witchcraft and ghost stories should be altogether free from superstition?
There are no heathens proper now in my whole missionary district in the south of New Zealand. The whole native population, as well at Ruapuke as in the scattered villages, may be looked upon as a Christian community. The same may be said of Brother Riemenschneider's charge in Otago and the surrounding district, which is adjacent to that of the southern community, although two and a half days' journey removed. For that reason
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many visits cannot be made, especially as no money for journeying came our way. Previously Riemenschneider worked in the North Island, but came to Otago later on, as he had to give up his charge on account of the disquiet resulting from the war. Of our spiritual charges, it may be said "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." We missionaries strove with God for our yet weak spiritual children, that Christ might win a footing in them, and that in good hope that as He had begun the good work in them He would perfect it till the day of Jesus Christ.
