Church Missionary Society, Northern District.
[Image of page 323]
New Zealand.
CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
NORTHERN DISTRICT.
KERIKERI.
The resident Catechist, Mr. J. Kemp, has continued to give religious instruction to the Natives at this Station, and in its vicinity, and has been generally listened to with attention.
Death of the old Chief Tareha, and two other Natives.
In the earlier history of the New-Zealand Mission, when with great risk the Missionaries were wont to interpose between contending parties of the Natives, the name of Tareha often appears. A war companion of the famous Shungi, he was prominent in many a scene of bloodshed and cannibalism. Mr. Kemp, in his Report for the half-year ending December 31, 1848, thus speaks of his death--
Tareha, the Chief of Mangonui, was taken suddenly ill. I attended, and administered some medicine, which gave a temporary relief; hut a few days afterward he was apparently attacked with apoplexy, and died on the third day. For some months before his death he constantly attended the Service on the Lord's Day, and had prayers daily at his house. When dying, he called his sons and other Natives around him, and urged upon them not to omit Karakia (prayers), and to live peaceably with each other. He also requested that the place where he lay should not be tapu (sacred) after his death. Tareha was for many years the dread and terror both of Natives and Europeans in the Bay of Islands. The influence which the Christian Religion had on his mind was the great means of subduing his native ferocious disposition, and leading him to respect the service of God.
Two other hopeful cases are mentioned in the same Report.
Our native girl Mary, who lived in our family about six years, was in October last called by death to her eternal home. She could read the Scriptures fluently, and had committed various parts, with the Catechism, to memory. She felt herself to be a sinner, and died, I trust, looking by faith to Christ for salvation. Our native lad, Tamati, also, went to see his friends, and, being in a weakly state of health, caught cold, and fell into a decline. I visited him, and urged on him
[Image of page 324]
the necessity of the new birth before he could enter heaven. His reply was, that he was a sinner, and he hoped Jesus Christ would pardon his sins. He also said that he felt great comfort in praying to Christ. He died in November last. He, also, could read the Scriptures.
PAIHIA.
General View--Hopeful Death of a Chief.
Archdeacon H. Williams, in his Reports for the half-years ending December 1848 and June 1849, states that a general improvement had been manifested in the temper and feelings of the Natives; that their fears were gradually subsiding; and that there existed among them an increasing disposition to resume their former position of inquiry, and attendance on the Means of Grace.
A Chief named Hokepa Maika has died, it is hoped, in the faith of Christ. He had been a distinguished man for some years past; and during the late war, though surrounded by the contending parties, had kept his tribe in quietness. His place was a pattern for neatness; his Chapel perfectly clean and in good repair; and his attendance, and that of his people, on the Means of Grace, constant.
The inhabitants of the native villages in the vicinity of Paihia have expressed their desire to be visited more frequently than is practicable from the magnitude of the district, which extends to Bream Bay, sixty miles south of Paihia. The difficulties of seeing the people, even in the immediate neighbourhood, are considerable, as they are scattered up small creeks. The only access to them is by boat, and that only at high water.
WAIMATE.
From the Rev. R. Burrows we have received the following
Report for the Half-year ending June 30, 1849.
The duties of the Station have been carried on with but little interruption. I was absent six Sundays in March and April, for the purposes of the Central Committee, during which time the Rev. R. Davis divided his time between the Waimate and Kaikohi Stations.
Several of our people have been called from us since our last Report, two or three of whom gave evidence of their faith in Christ. One, formerly a Teacher, and a consistent character, who suffered long and severely, died during my absence. When I left, I expressed to him my doubts of our meeting again in this life, to which he replied, "The will of the Lord be done. My trust is in the merits of Christ." Mr. Davis visited him afterward, and reports that he was much pleased with his state.
This is the bright side of our picture: truth requires that we should shew the other side also. Amid much lukewarmness and inconsistency among many of our professed Christians, we have to mourn over the sad delinquency of one who for many years took a prominent part among us, as a Teacher, and a regular attendant at Church and the Schools. In an evil hour he was induced to listen to the repeated solicitations of his brother's widow, and has at length taken her as his second wife. This has given great cause to the enemy to blaspheme, and is proving a stumbling-block to many.
Our Girls' School is still making progress. There are many discouragements; but we have confident hope that good is being done. The seed is being sown, and, although it may lie long in the ground, we have the promise that it shall spring up. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. There is still room for improvement, both in the system pursued and in the working; but, upon the whole, we have reason to rejoice. There has been less annoyance from the parents than formerly, and the children become more and more attached to the School. Our average number during the half-year has been thirty-eight.
The Institution for Training Native Youths to act as Teachers may now be said to have commenced, with some prospect of going forward. We have five youths at present, and are expecting others shortly.
KAIKOHI
.
Report for the Year ending Dec. 31, 1848.
The Rev. R. Davis expresses
[Image of page 325]
his hope that, amidst difficulties, the Redeemer's Kingdom is advancing. The following remarks are important, pointing out the corrective influence of past trials, and encouraging the hope that a deeper work in the hearts of the Natives will be followed by results of a more permanent and satisfactory character.
The past year has been a period of trial of no ordinary kind; but it has nevertheless proved a season in which our hope has been increased, and our expectations raised, from having witnessed some progress in the re-establishment of Christianity, among our people, on more clear and hopeful principles than those on which it stood in what we considered our more prosperous days. In those days, with few exceptions, the Natives were brought to a stand when they had attained a certain degree of knowledge. Many, when they received Baptism, appeared to congratulate themselves on having thus attained the summit of their wishes: they were now believers, exalted above their former standing, and seemed to expect that by the mere rite, as by a charm, they would be delivered from the power and dominion of sin, and that God in all things would be propitious to them. Some of them became great disciplinarians, and many acquired much knowledge of Scripture. But where this knowledge did not unveil the corruption and depravity of the human heart, it was ineffectual in the time of temptation, and numbers fell away. What once appeared to shine brightly became dim, and then vanished into deadly superstitious darkness. More recent experience has shewn that those who were preserved from falling, and have been blessed up to this time with persevering grace, are even now but very babes in Christ. At that period there was much religious profession, mixed up with a degree of self-complacency which rendered their profession doubtful: now, they complain of their ignorance of Scripture and of the depravity of their nature, and sincerely lament the hardness of their hearts; while here and there one may be found rejoicing in the love of God.
During the year several have been added to the attendants on Lord's-Day duties, and some to our Weekly Meetings; and we have witnessed some cases of conviction. Some who joined in the wars, have professedly disconnected themselves with that party, and are again united with the worshippers of God. A few, also, have been recovered from the bondage of native superstitions. Upon the whole there can be no doubt that the great work is advancing, although slowly; but we have learned to think and speak with caution, and to rejoice with trembling. Our present state was thus described a few days ago by a Christian Chief-- "The declension from our former state of Christian Experience was easy, because it was downward: to regain that state is hard and heavy, because it is upward."
With regard to what is termed civilization, our people are not so far in advance as they appeared to be some years ago. This is accounted for, first, by the late wars; secondly, by the determination of Heki and other Chiefs to revive and enforce their former laws of desolation. While these laws are acted upon, however industrious or circumspect a person may be, if one of the party to which he is attached transgress, his property is almost in equal danger with that of the culprit. The people of Kaikohi, many of them, possess horses, cows, pigs, &c. They have also a fine crop of wheat just coming to harvest, the proceeds of which they intend to appropriate to building a water-mill; but, under the present system, their property is insecure, and their success doubtful.
Independent of Lord's-Day Services and Schools, the Congregation of Kaikohi, as many as choose to attend, are met three times a week. To these meetings we attach much importance, especially those for reading the Holy Scriptures; and during the year they have increased in numbers and interest. Within the last few months many applications have been made for Testaments and Prayer-books. Of the former we have given out about 150 copies, but of the latter we have had none for a long period.
