Death of the Rev. John Mason.
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JULY, 1843.
DEATH OF THE REV. JOHN MASON.
OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S STATION AT WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND.
THROUGH the mercy of God, the lives of the Missionaries in New Zealand have been remarkably preserved. Up to the end of last year, no instance of the death of a Missionary or Catechist connected with the Church Missionary Society had occurred during the twenty-eight years which have elapsed since the establishment of the Mission. We are now, however, called upon to mourn over the sudden removal of the Rev. John Mason, who, in the prime of life and in the midst of health, was diligently labouring in his Master's service, and whose successful labours gave promise of extensive usefulness. During the two years and a half in which Mr. Mason was stationed at Wanganui, he was enabled to communicate religious instruction to many villages on the coast to the north and south, and also up the River Wanganui in the interior; and he was instrumental in admitting, by Baptism, 300 adults into the Christian Church. At the very period, however, when his increased experience and knowledge of the language were calculated to add greatly to the efficiency of his labours, he was taken to his heavenly rest. Very mysterious and inscrutable are the ways of God; but we know that He doeth all things well. May we have grace to acquiesce in His dispensations, and to profit by the many warnings which are intended to remind us who survive of the solemn injunction, Work while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work!
In the following Letter from the Rev. O. Hadfield, dated Waikanae, Jan. 16, 1843, we are furnished with minute particulars of the painful event:--
It has become my painful duty to acquaint you with Mr. Mason's melancholy death, which took place on the 5th inst., in the River Turakina, about ten miles from Wanganui.
After remaining a few days at Wanganui, where Mr. Mason and I had been engaged in settling our matters of business, I purposed to return hither: and Mr. Mason proposed that he should accompany me a part of the way, as he was going to pay a periodical visit to a part of his charge at Rangitikei. At eight o'clock the morning we began our ride; and after some delay at Wangaihu, which we (July, 1843.) succeeded in crossing safely, we reached Turakina about eleven. As it appeared too dangerous to cross in the shallow water, the quicksands being in a very unsafe state, I advised that we should go to the mouth of the river, and try there; but on proceeding further, we found that it was already high-water, and that consequently the water must be too deep to allow of our crossing. As, however, we proceeded, Mr. Mason, who had on a pair of water-proof over-all boots, walked into the river, and tried the nature of the sand, which he found would not bear the horses. I, not so well acquainted with the river as Mr. Mason, proposed that we should either wait till two Natives, who were carrying some luggage for Mr. Mason, should arrive, or till the tide ebbed; but he thought that we might try the river near the mouth, where it was not more than
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thirty yards wide; and consequently rode into it. On the horse getting beyond its depth, and beginning to swim, Mr. Mason, to avoid being wet, knelt upon the saddle. The horse at the time took a turn in the water; upon which I called out, "Sit fast: hold on to the saddle." Mr. Mason immediately returned, and said, that had I not called him back he could easily have crossed. I explained, that I did not call to him to come back, but to sit fast, as it was very dangerous to kneel on the saddle while the horse was swimming.
We then proposed crossing together; and I dismounted and took off my boots, and advised him to do the same, repeating the advice: this, however, he did not do. He then said to me, "Will you go first?" to which I replied that I would, and rode into the water. As soon as my horse began to swim, it endeavoured to return, and turned round in the water, and became unmanageable: my hat fell off, and I maintained my seat with difficulty. Mr. Mason, passing me at the time, called out to me to sit fast. Shortly after this, upon looking back, I saw him in the act of falling from his horse, and then endeavouring to swim. By this time I had reached the shallow water; and while dismounting and throwing off my coat and waistcoat, the two Natives, whom we had been expecting, appeared upon the opposite bank of the river. Mr. Mason in the mean time had begun to call out, "Take me out! take me out!" and was gradually sinking. I immediately swam to him, and endeavoured, by putting my hand under his chin, to raise his head above water; but as I raised him, I sunk myself. I then dived under him, and endeavoured to raise him, hoping that he would catch hold of some part of my clothes, and thus leave my hands at liberty for swimming; but he did not do so. I then took hold of his left wrist with my right hand, and tried to drag him through the water; but after trying for some time, and finding that, as the wind and the tide were carrying us further from the shore, it was a vain attempt, I left him, then several feet below the surface of the water, and with difficulty reached the shore, being in a very exhausted state, having swallowed a large quantity of salt water. Had I been allowed time to have taken off my clothes before I swam to Mr. Mason's assistance, I might have exerted myself more; but upon seeing him sink so rapidly, I went into the water with almost all my clothes on, and consequently my efforts were unavailing. Not more, probably, than five minutes had elapsed since we had both entered the water on horseback; but in that short space of time Mr. Mason had sunk, and I had no hope left me of rendering him any further assistance, as there were no materials within our reach to afford us any help. One of the Natives swum across to us, but, being a bad swimmer, made no effort to assist me in my attempt to rescue Mr. Mason from drowning.
I was for a few minutes almost overwhelmed with grief, in seeing one thus snatched away from a life of active exertion in the work of our Redeemer-- one who was my only fellow-worker in this part of our Master's vineyard--in a word, one who was to me a sincere and valued friend, at the same time that he was a zealous, diligent, and faithful Minister of Christ: so that I know not whether to consider more mine own loss of a dear and constant friend, or the Church's loss of an active and devoted Minister.
The two Natives now came to my assistance; and having helped me in taking off my wet clothes, they supplied me with their blankets, and kindled a fire. In the course of a few hours I was sufficiently recovered to ride back to Wanganui, a distance of about ten miles, to conclude the melancholy day by relating to Mrs. Mason the distressing circumstance of her husband's sudden death. Though deeply grieved, she bore as a Christian that severe affliction, which Jehovah, her Heavenly Father, had in His wisdom been pleased to put upon her.
Mr. Mason's body was found on the day following that of his death, and conveyed to Wanganui; where, on the 7th instant, we committed it to the grave, in the presence of almost all the English and Native inhabitants then in the Settlement. On the Lord's Day following, I preached a Funeral Sermon to the Natives, and also to the English; and saw in both congregations many a tear shed, when I alluded to him who on the previous Lord's Day had been present with us, but who was now taken to his Rest.
A few words more, perhaps, concerning my departed Brother may be expected from me. He entered upon his work at Wanganui about two years and a half ago. He had much to discourage him. The people made an empty profession of attending to him, but were really indifferent to the Gospel. Mr. Mason, how-
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ever, persevered in faith; and now, almost all the inhabitants of Wanganui and the coast, on to Taranaki, profess Christianity; and about three hundred adults have been baptized in the name of the Triune God.
These few facts are of more weight, in my opinion, than many volumes of praise. Let it not, then, be supposed that Mr. Mason's labours, though short, have been useless. Time will never fully develope their extent. He had acquired a fair knowledge of the native language; and had the essential qualifications of a Minister, namely, a clear knowledge of Christ, accompanied with patience, diligence, and faithfulness. To say thus much of Mr. Mason is, I believe, my duty: to say more might be impertinent. My prayer now is, that the Lord may provide for His people Pastors to feed them with the bread of life, and to exhibit Christ to them.
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