Obituary and notices of Tupapa, an aged New Zealand chief.
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Missionary Register.
DECEMBER, 1835.
Biography.
OBITUARY AND NOTICES OF TUPAPA,
AN AGED NEW-ZEALAND CHIEF.
MR. DAVIS has given the following relation of a scene, eminently calculated to encourage every Christian Labourer who soweth in hope, but who is not always permitted speedily to see the fruits of his labour.
Nov. 2, 1834 --At Broughton's Chapel, the congregation was very large, and somewhat attentive. After Service, they asked me to go and visit a sick man, who was lying in a house near at hand. I went: and found him lying in a verandah, with a dirty garment over him as a covering, and a dirty mat under him, rolled up as a pillow, on which he rested his dying head. He was an old man: his beard was grey: he was fully tattooed. His countenance had been remarkably fine, but it was now being fixed in death. I knelt over him, with deep feelings of regret and sorrow of heart. Surely, thought I, this poor man's glass is run out, and his spirit is about to appear in the presence of the Maker of heaven and earth. Alas! alas! what can be done for him now? After these feelings had passed through my mind as I hung over the dying man, I spoke to him. He tried to speak, but his pale blue lips refused to perform their office: he tried again; and, after a weak hollow cough or two, he at length succeeded. As his power of speech returned, his countenance brightened up: he raised his dying arm, and, letting it fall upon his breast, exclaimed: "My mind is fixed upon Christ, as my Saviour." -- "How long have you been seeking Christ?" "From the first," he replied. "Christ is in my heart, and my soul is joyful." I requested him to keep a firm hold of Christ, as the language expresses it, and to beware of the tempter. He replied: "I have no fear: Christ is with me." I read to him a few verses of the 14th chapter of St. John's Gospel; spoke a few words on the great love of God in the redemption of sinners by the death of Christ; and engaged in prayer, in which he appeared to join with earnestness. After prayer, he told me how much he blessed God for sending His Messengers to him with the Message of Salvation. He told me he was dying, and seemed to long to be with Christ. I told him not to be impatient. "Oh," said he, "I shall die to-day: this is the sacred day." We now took leave of each other, until we should meet in our Heavenly Father's house.
The relief which I felt to my mind, while I knelt over the dying man, on hearing him express his faith in Christ, can be better conceived than expressed. I looked upon him as a poor, ignorant, dying savage; but, oh, the infinite riches of sovereign grace! I was kneeling over one of God's dear children, who seemed to be resting firmly on His omnipotent arm, even in the midst of the river of death: his views of the Saviour seemed clear, his evidence bright. During our short conversation, his countenance, which was no doubt previously settled in death, beamed with lively joy, and evidently betokened his faith as being in lively exercise: in short, the savour of the name of Jesus seemed, as it were, to bring him back for a few minutes into life, in order that he might leave a dying testimony behind him, as to the power and value of Religion to support the soul in death. Nearly the whole of my congregation was around me while we conversed and prayed together; and it was remarked, that they had never seen the like before. To God's name be all the glory, for ever and ever! It appears, on recollection, that this poor man came to me, with many more of Broughton's people, some little time since, to make some inquiries respecting the salvation of his soul; but, at first sight, I did not recognise him again. His conversation then, as far as I can recollect, was pleasing and satisfac-
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tory; but I cannot recollect particulars. Surely, if this were all, my poor Missionary toil would be fully repaid.
Nov. 3, 1834 --This morning, some Natives came pretty early, with the measure for a coffin for Tupapa, the man mentioned yesterday. It appears his happy soul took its flight to the bosom of his Saviour soon after I left him yesterday. --Happy saint! When I took leave of him, he was peaceful, for he was near his Father's home.
The remaining particulars, given by Mr. Davis, concerning this Chief, present a lively picture of the Divine Mercy overruling for good the catastrophes of war:--
The history of poor Tupapa is by no means without interest to the observant Christian. He was originally a Chief of considerable note and family, of the Taranaki tribe; but being always involved in war with the large district of Waikato, he was, with his wife and daughter, in one of their engagements, taken prisoner, with a great number of others. At this time, the man and his little family were preserved, by an all-wise Providence, from the general fate of their prisoners of war, viz. from being cooked and eaten. But, however, this does not appear to have been a merciful act on the part of the bloody victors; for he and his family were preserved, with a few others, and brought to the Bay of Islands, where the greater part of them were sold as slaves to the Ngapuhi tribes, for muskets and powder, and other instruments of death. On the arrival of the captive Chief and his family in the Bay, the hand of Providence did not leave him there; for not being able to dispose of the family, or any branch thereof, his merciless victors undertook to march them over the island to the heads of Hokianga, to a Chief called Moitara, when they were to have had some muskets for them: but, as they passed through Broughton's place, being recognised by some neighbours, who had previously arrived there from the southern part of the island, they were persuaded by them to run away, and secrete themselves in the woods, until their masters should have returned. This advice they took: and not being found, after the Waikato Tribes returned from the Bay, they came forth from the woods; and he put himself under the protection of Broughton's Tribe; where he lived in peace; where he heard and received the glad tidings of peace and salvation; and from whence his soul, after having been purified by the blood of Christ, winged its way to the Paradise of God. From what I can learn, it is about four or five years ago that Tupapa and his family were brought to the Bay: his wife did not live long after her arrival: his daughter is still alive; but as she is young, I hope to be able to succeed in getting her to live in the Settlement, in order that she may be brought up in the fear of God. The dying father expressed great affection for her.
