A Clergyman in the Far Back.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7085, 25 January 1907, Page 2

A Clergyman in the Far Back.

Mesopotamia may appear a far cry from Springburn, if by that word is meant the Oriental country whence the distinguished patriarch—Abraham—hailed. It is a big

word, and one nob too easy of pronuneia-

tion. The late Rev. John Murker, of Banff, my esteemed friend of a generation ago,

was on one occasion couducting his Bible clasp, when one of his pupils, in reading the lesson for the day, came to this same word, calling it 'something,' but sadly stumbling oyt-r its articulation. Mr Murker, always ready to see the humorous side, was con- | siderably amused, and in a somewhat comical fashion, remarked ;'." 0 aye, Johu ; ye mm' me on a good man, dooa in Buchan, who was hearin' his Sunday school class their lesson, when one of his boya, in reading, came to this very word, and similarly s*umbling over it, the good teacher, immediafcoly, and to his o*n satisfaction, and, doubfclesp, to that of hip olasp, said—" The mosa o' Pifcujie I Mony a good peit hae I cos'n oot o't." Well, though entitled to be c'aired among the nvre remote and comparatively inaccessible districts of the colony, the '' cottntry " alluded to in this sketch is by no means so distant as that of the early home of the father of the faithful and the friend of God. It lies about 37 mil'-B from Springburn, and 33 from Mount Somers, by road } if such, in some ptrte, the way can indeed be designated, Such of yonr readers as have travelled on the Chrisrchurch-Duuedin railway will be able more easily to locate it when they are informed that it lies about 46 miles up the Ringir&ta Gorge (somewhat in the direction of the S uthem Alps), down which there flows the noble river of that name, which, for its own aggrandisement absorbs several other smaller ones which, nolens volens, he vs £bu3 to submit to the loss of their respective identities, The KangHata is a snow river, aud, when in full flood, is a raging, violent torrent ; a river which; by reaoon of quickpands and its eccentric' habit of Frequently j altering its course, oan be forded, if at all, only with extreme pare, by the skilful navigator. Here, then, at Mesopotamia, is a large sheep-'tra, leased by the deservedly popular sheer-owner, Ml- George Q-errard, who has as his station manager here Mr ; Colin Urquiiari- who belongs, as does also ; his good lady, to the Presbyterian church. | The place, in a pre-eminent dogrep, may well lfiy claim to be the hill country of Canterbury, and, as an instance of its salubrious aature. suffice it to state that a gentleman of my acquaintance, not a hundred miles from Springburn, wa° ? when a young man, sent, with a few bottles of nod-liver oil, ap hero to die of consumption. That was about forty years ago, and to.day he is well, and as lively as a cricket Thitherward, then, on the Hth instant, I wended n,y way on horseback. On arrival at Mount Snmers, through the kindness ot 'Uf Joha Hood—always ready to faoili'atp, with true Christiaa charity, my peregrinations to the remoter regions of my charge —applied me with a trap aijd a frbsh horse fcjaafc I migljfc overtake my journey with ad r difcional oomfort: Thus equipped, I prcoo"sed on ray way a3 far as S£ounfc Possession, wherft I' was, as heretofore, hospitably entertained by Mr Bad Mrs L-mbie. It his been my otistom to go up herp, be* fcimpp, on n weeb-n'ght, and hold an coca?- ---) ional service, which doubtless supplied a ,fe>t want Next morning—Saturday — Mount Vosfcjession was taken leave cf and Hakatere was sre&clied at 11.30. After lunch I resumed my journey to j#y sixnvllablfid tormina, nestling among the iillp. still afar off. I had gone but a short distance wjpen a blindiiig etorni of rain overtook me, and d&ujjts arose within me whether it were wise id Goafa'Dß^ the

journey. Comforted, however, by tlie jbhong-ht that when a storm overtakes tha traveller ifc ih 0.9 proof that he is on the wrong road, I decided! to jjursne my journpy, and, greatly to my delight, 1' was soon m&i by Mr A. Comyns—Mr GerrarcTa popular travelling manager—who had come to escort me safely over tfee river; and, with Jjis advent, »U anxiety .on my psrfc as to =a?s transit jjiross was at an end. Apl*, hay:!!'y fltnsly os^Qred v&y bjSp to a fence in the vioiniiv. w^ » B9r WwißV gbould blow it into the adjacent lake. I raouafced

Mr Comyns' gi?, in Which we drove to ftUf de-ired haven; Mr Comyns leading my pony behind. Thup, though wet and uncomfortable, we arrived safely at the station. Here, Mr Urquhart p.nd his estimable lady showed us every kindness, extending ns a trnly Highland welcome, hence, being tarnished with necessary dry clothe 3, wr wore afc otioe at home and comfortable in their hospitable abode.

Though the hill tops next; morning— Sabbath—were all around girdled with mist, nevertheless the snn broke finely overhead. At eleven o'clock I conducted Divine service in the big housp, addressing the andienca from the words of Rev. tii, 20. Though the congregation was not large, it was evidently appreciative, and the service wan appropriately commenced vrUh the singing of the ever-pooular hymn " Hold the Port,'- 1 for even Mesopotamia must be held for Christ, The bapHsm of Mr and Mrs Urquharl'a ohild lent additional interest to the service. »

Now, "concerning the collection." It wes liberal, and was supplemented by a donation of two pounds, afterwards handed me most cheerfully. I- wai especially pleased at their liberality, as [ had previously stat d that T hud eomp nil the way t"O conduct service among fchsin, it was my wish to be able to make a irood report of my t"ip to the church who had sent me here, and I was not disappoiui-od.

After dinner, I took firewell of Mesopotamia, and my rew!y formed friends there, and set oat on my homeward journey ununder'the win^ of my excellent friend, Mr Oomyns. who again saw ma safdly over the river, —(the bed oi which I may remark takes* about an hour fen cross), and fir on my way towards Hakatere, to the point where I had left my trap t;ed to the fence. H>re was to U 3, the parting of the wnys, and having taken farewell of one another, Mr Cousynsi returned homewards, while I resumed my journey to Hakatere,, which I reached at 5.1.6. There was time for tea before Divine Service which had been arranged to commence at 6.30; at which hour in the wool shed of Hakatere, i ag^in conducted service to an attentive and evidently interested audience. Service concluded, I hied homewards to Mr and Mrs Limbie's at Mount Possession. I had to cross the Xshr hurton river twice on my wav thither, which, coupled with the fact, that I was by myself, and, owing to the darkness of the night setting in, I did not do so, with^ out feelings of h distinctly eerie nature. Next morning—Monday—T proceeded homewards and, in due time, arrived safely at Spring-burn, greatly gratified with the many kindnesses I had received at Mesopotamia and en route; and moreover, filled with the happiest recollections of my longi ta'kod of t.r'p, wlrch h^d no* become an accomplished fact, thanks to fhs kind and and valued aid of the Rev. W. Ham, of Mayfield, who oocupied the pulpit of Springbarn for the day with much acceptance. If this report from the back blocks is of interest to your many readers, I shall feel more than repaid for any trouble I have taken in furnishing it. Springburn. January 22,1907. T,K. • (If Mr T. K'a report interests our readers ni much as it his done v«, it will interest them very much indeed. We thank him for hia cheery contribution.—En.)