NORTHERN WAIROA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5434, 22 January 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

NORTHERN WAIROA.

Orn c<>m. spon'leiit wilting on Now Year's day, stales : — Trepanations had been, made for vanous f. ativc meetings for the ensuing week, and to wauls noon the sun shone bright and lj.ivc pionnsj of fine weather. Guests had been inwted, .md the whole community looked foiuard to the pleasuies of flu! b.ill to take place that evening in the Kopuru Hall, given by the manager, Mr. J A. Walker and his amiable wife, as a liousc waiming, on th< lr moving iuto the new lioisc built foi them Tastefully ai the hall is generally decorated by the artistic skill ot some, of the null handB, wit!i evergreens and thn glaeeful foliage of the nikau palm, it was still further miptovrd by the harmonious draping of variegated flags from the vessels in port. Almut 9 p. m dancing commence 1 ; at 11 tho hall was ht< rally ciowded. Tlio whole length of tli>; room was avoi'ablo for dancing, temporary additions havn g boen run up for a supper room and ladies' room. Refreshments ot <\ery description wero plentifully Mipphed, but no spnits. It wns th" most brilliant thing of the kind ever held on the Waiioa; and it was gratify in 2, to notice the imp'oved toe al tone that liau taken placo within the short space of a y. ai.in the encouraging of thcmij &ooial girht rings between tho settlers and the op latnes at the mil; tho oppoitunitiis of becoming acquainted with young ladies betuein whom ft barrier existed, tlio mill hands being loo'tcd upon ns a rough, drunken lot, who, however, were more tinned nga'infc, than fiiumng, whono only amusement at tho close of tho weck'^work was to run down to the "pubs." awl thore dissipate their hard- won earnings Who can deny the moral tendency of female agency, where properly exerted. — About 5 p in on tho 5th instant, Bishop (Jowie arrived at To Kopuru, in tho ' Lily,' for the purpose of prosecuting hia annual visit to this portion of his dioceso. Ho was accompanied by tho llev. Mr. T<»m!i'ison, a former curate of his, at Stafford, Kivland. This gentleman arrivod in Now Zealand, per • Oyphrenes,' from San Francisco, on her last trip. Ik is sincerely to be hoped that he may bo induced to stop here, as at present he is only travelling for pleasure, am 1 alto to ot tain a perioiu.l knowledge of these inlnnds in the Pacific, the scenes of distant Mission work. With tho limited time at his disposal, his Lordship, accompanied by tho resident clergyman of this district, tho Rev. P. T. Baker, visited a few of the settlors. On the 7th instant, the school festival of the Northern Wairoa Schools, and thoso of To Kopuru and Aratapu, took placo in Mr. T. Webb's paddocks, whore exten«ive awnin.'H, borrowed frrm tho shipping, decorated with flags in prominent positions, wero spread, affording cool shades from tho noon day sun. From 9 a.m. till 11, the river was ahvo with boats freighted with juveniles, bound for tho joyful scene, while the children from tho mills were seen filing down tho sandstone ridge, with gay banners, and tinging a merry nong ; the youthful voices gained addition from the crowd already assembled, and thus they received hia Lordship the Bishop, who had kindly promised to deliver the prizes. A list of the prize winnera appeared m a former number of tho Duly Soutukrn (Jkoss. His L'jrdihip addressed the children, and dismi Bed them to the enjoyment of tho various amusements provided till the time arrived to adjourn from labor to refreshment. The refreshments were excellent of their kind, aud so bountiful that seven large packages remained untouched, and which were res rved for another social on Saturdiy evening, at the Kopuru Hall. The prizes were awarded with brief npptopriafo w >rds of emul ition to each roupi /nt. — Oa Sunday, the 10th instant, a large con gregation attended his Lordship, who, j.lthoiigh hoarse and suffering fioin a s v«ic cold, delivered an «xoJlent sermon, aftei which the Sacrament of the Holy C«inmuuion was administered to about a dozen ' p'raons. Hopro(eeded immediately after to Mangawhare, where lie and mute dined at the house of Mr. Mariu* r, wln> 43 hours uW suddenly expix'd — The Bishop In Id divine service at th« Kaihu Hotel, and pro cei ded to tho flax-mills, homo eight miles further up the creek, and held a thud service

that (a*, halting then for tho night;, and started the mxt niorauig, about nine a ui., forToTaita, wlieu the chiefs Te lloi<', Parori, Netana, To Miteora, and IIar» ta (chieftaiaess), leceived him. It was tho oocaaion of tho opening of a new Maori church, built in the Gothic style. Although expenBivo, it having uv-t .ihmit £400, theic io something mcoiiyi nous about it, unpleasing to the European ejo Tho windows nro Btmned blue tho whole length, g'>lilcy in tho arch. The ceiling, wall", and benches aio highly varni-ihcd. Them is no vcntil ition, cxe.ptfromtuoEin.il] l.utico windows .11 each gablo end. I't-foro tho hciwco con.mence.l the Kev. I" T. JiiU.v d. coiattd ih inside puio's ne.ii tho chancel and .ibove the communion tiblc .ind vestry (loo>, uilli iH»minitid texts fiom the t-criptiucy, m M i r I dm ta.blo v.u coveted with a pm pie cloth, cmbilli"hed with ciossos and mitres worked in gold thread, ami adk. Undci tlio frmt,'n ther of was a uiucilix in gold c>rd .ind silk, with 1. 11 S on a whito silk ground. Tho whole paraphcr. naha is said to have cost £50, and it is a gift to the chuich fiom frieuda m Hiiyland. When tho opi mug stivice was coiniueiictd the Church was ho ciowdcd that the back seats had to bo taken out. Kven that did not Builice. Tbeio wero 43 Kumpcani and J35 natives present, of whom 17 pirtook of the Holy Communion. Tho service was entirely in Maori, and at the oHeitoiy £35 were collected. — Af er the lapao of an hour the Bishop and suite, the Paktha gu.'st^, and principal chiefs, sat down to a numptuous colliktioa in an extreratly neat and cool &h«jd, about 30 yards long and 12 feet wide ; the sides were six feet high of matted uikau, the peeled rafters mcio co\cud wi h spotless new calico, and tho whole entut uiimuit was highly ciediublu to the ocoaa on, and tho hospitality of the Mam is. 'I ho Bishop was informed that the nati iuu of Wiuin tmaliU would have had their chuith nlao Iniislud, but for sumo unavoidable ili-l.iy. Airan^oments \\etc then undo with the liativi s tor tho further picgioas of hn LoiiMtip to Hokianga, and aciosa to the liiy of Islands, and tho European guesra iv tinned to the Wairoa. — [Own correspondent ]