Stations, Labourers, and Notitia of Missionary Societies.
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STATIONS, LABOURERS, AND NOTITIA OF MISSIONARY SOCIETIES.
CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
NEW SOUTH-WALES.
Wellington Valley: 240 miles NW of Sydney-- 1832--W. Watson, John C. Handt--P. 148: and see, at pp. 463, 514-520, a General View of the Mission, with the Report for 1834; and details of Incidents and Conversations, illustrative of the state of the Natives, and of the influence of the Mission on their minds, especially in awakening an Inquiring Spirit among them.
The efforts on behalf of the Aborigines are not without good promise. The scenes of wretchedness and disease with which the Missionaries meet are most distressing; but, by attending to the wants of the people, and administering medicine, they find great access to their hearts: yet they share with their Brethren the pain of seeing frequent neglect, as well as the comfort of witnessing some improvement. ----- [Report.
NEW ZEALAND.
STATIONS AND LABOURERS - Tepuna, near Rangihoua: on the north side of the Bay of Islands: 1815: John King, Cat. --Kerikeri: westward of the Bay: 1819: James Kemp, James Shepherd, John Edmonds, Cat. --Paihia: on the south side of the Bay: 16 miles SE of Kerikeri: 1823: Henry Williams; Maria Coldham, As.; W. Rich. Wade, Sup. of Press: W. Colenso, Printer--Waimate: 9 miles inland from Kerikeri, and 14 from Paihia: 1831: G. Clarke, Rich. Davis, James Hamlin, Cat. --Kaitaia: 44 miles NW of Waimate: 1834: W. Puckey, Joseph Matthews, Cat. --Puriri: on the River Thames, S of the Bay of Islands: 1834: W. Fairburn, John Morgan, James Preece, John A. Wilson-- Ngaruawahia, and Two other New Stations, also S of the Bay: W. Williams, Alfred Nisbet Brown; C. Baker, T. Chapman, Henry Pilley, James Stack, John Flatt, Catechists--Mr. and Mrs. Wade, Mr. Colenso,
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and Mr. Flatt arrived Dec. 30, 1834-- Mr. and Mrs. Maunsell reached Sydney, on their way, on the 30th of July--The destination of the Rev. T. H. Applegate has been changed from this Mission to India--The Rev. Henry B. Bobart and Mr. B. Y. Ashwell, with their wives, sailed from Gravesend on the 12th of June: and the Rev. W. Yate and his Sister, with the Rev. R. Taylor and Mr. John Bedggood and their families, left London on the 18th of last month, on Mr. Yate's return to his labours--Pp. 148, 215, 256, 293, 294, 390; and pp. 64, 120 of the present Volume.
Summary--Stations, 9: Labourers, in the field and on their way, 7 Missionaries, 20 Catechists, 2 Printers, 24 Married and 2 Unmarried Females: Schools, 18: Scholars; 86 Boys, 67 Girls, 86 Youths and Adults, and 161 whose sex is not specified--Copious and highly-interesting reports of the labours and success of the Mission appear in our last Volume: see pp. 148, 149, 307-311, 336, 379-382, 426-429, 469-472, 520-527, 549-559; and see, at pp. 433-437, 529, 530, the Obituaries of three Christian Natives--Aoheke, Waikaihi, and Tupapa; with Notices of the Death of three apparently-unconverted Natives. At p. 432, a notice appears of Mr. Yate's "Account of New Zealand" --a Volume which cannot be read by Christians without gratitude for what God hath already wrought among that people, and assured confidence in His future blessing. See, also, at pp. 174 and 478, notices, with Engravings, of a New-Zealand War Expedition, and of the Settlement of Paihia.
NEW TESTAMENT -- The translation of the New Testament is finished, and the British and Foreign Bible Society has engaged to defray the expense of printing 2000 copies. The Editorial Sub-Committee of that Society, after intercourse with Mr. Yate, thus reported on the Translation:--
The translation now offered was begun by the Rev. W. Yate and the Rev. W. Williams, about seven years-and-a-half ago; and has undergone many revisions, by the whole Mission Family, including Messrs. Puckey and Shepherd, the former of whom is very familiar with the native language, having resided in New Zealand ever since he was nine years old. It is made directly from the Greek; and the translators have consulted the best commentators, during the progress of their work. The New-Zealand Language is adapted for very literal translation, which is, therefore, the style used by the translators; and they have the testimony, both of the common people and of the more intelligent Natives, in favour of its idiomatic purity.
The following further extract from the Document just quoted exhibits, in few but expressive words, the Results of the Mission:--
The population of the islands, included under the name of New Zealand, is about 180,000; of which number nearly 45,000 have more or less of intercourse with the Missionaries: 300 have been baptized into the Christian Faith. There are about 800 adults who have been taught in the Mission Schools to read, and 400 more are now under the same instruction, besides 250 infants of eight years old and under: the Natives have also established Schools of their own, in which many others have learned both reading and writing. The average number of attendants upon Divine Worship is above 1000 at the Mission Settlements; besides many thousands to whom the Missionaries have access, in their excursions for preaching in the villages.
WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
Mangungu: on the Hokianga--1827-- W. White, John Whiteley, James Wallis; W. Woon, Printer. Mr. and Mrs. Wallis arrived Dec. 1, 1834. Mr. Woon resigned his office of Missionary at Tonga, and proceeded to New Zealand: here the Society now employs him as a Printer and general Assistant: his arrival in New Zealand was peculiarly seasonable, additional aid being at the time of his arrival especially required-- A New Station, at Waikato, was in contemplation; but, as the Church Missionary Society was founding Stations in that quarter, the design has been relinquished--Pp. 149, 344: and see, at pp. 346, 347, an Obituary of Koteea, a pious Native; and, at pp. 382-384, various notices relative to the Mission and the Natives.
The most cheering intelligence has been received. A decided change has taken place in the character of that portion of the Natives with whom the Missionaries have been in habits of intercourse: instead of the scoffing
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Wesleyan Missionary Society--
infidelity for which they were remarkable, perhaps beyond any other Heathen People, there is now the most serious attention to the instructions of their Teachers, and an earnest desire to know the Truth. At the Mission Station, at Hokianga, the Sabbath is indeed a delight: almost every building is occupied by parties of the Natives, who unite in reading the Scriptures and in other exercises of devotion, during the intervals of Public Worship; and the sound of thanksgiving and prayer ceases not till the shades of night warn them to rest.
In connection with this Station, there are eight places where Public Worship is conducted, and Schools are established -- the males and females attending alternately, morning and evening. Sixteen Native Assistants, some of them very intelligent Young Men and Chiefs of respectability, co-operate with the Missionaries in their extensive work.
Many Natives, who live at a distance from the Settlement, have erected houses in the neighbourhood for temporary accommodation on their visits to attend Divine Worship on the Sabbath Day: the river is constantly enlivened by canoes filled with Natives, not engaged in warlike expeditions, but coming to attend the Means of Grace, or to conduct a peaceful traffic with the vessels which now with safety and advantage visit the island.
The Chapel at Hokianga has proved too small for the increasing congregations; and when the Natives were desired to render their assistance in the erection of a larger, one hundred and fifty men cheerfully afforded their aid. A printing-press is on its way, for the multiplication of useful books; and an indefinitely extensive field, for the employment of Missionaries and the establishment of Christian Schools, appears to open before the Society in that part of the world. ----- [Report.
