THE FIRST MARTYR OF THE MAORI CHURCH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 8036, 25 April 1888, Page 3

THE FIRST MARTYR OF THE MAORI CHURCH.

In noticing some new gifts of Sir George Grey to the Auckland Public Library the N.Z. Herald says :—

We picked up a thin volume, one of the lirsb books printed in the Maori langiiago in 1835. 11 was* a copy of the Gospel of St. l-uke. A native residing in the Buy of Islands district, named Retimona, had become poi-hCSHCd of a copy, anil was filled with cnllm.sia.sm .for the lofly and pure character of ,Ip«-\is (here displayed as our Savior. He determined to go and preach the Gospel tl) another trihp. Whether these people were at enmity with Retimona's tribe, or whether the anger of some of the tohangas of the ancient faith was excited, we do not know ; but a parly set upon the jiiisaionary, and killed him. On the blank page at the beginning of the book is the following note in tlie handwriting of Mr John White, who gave the book to Kir George Giey :— " This book belonged to Hr.limona, who \v;ib .shut at ONkeic b\ Kailokc.on his going to piciirli ito Kaitokc's Lribu. The marks on the

cover are from a blow' of the batt end of a gun initrving to save his head after he had been shot through tha body; also, blood is to be seen oil the cover. He was a member of the Wesleyan Church, and was the first martyr in New .Zealand. This took place in 1885." While on this subject of natives who have sealed their testimony to their faith with their blood, we may mention the cases of Manihera and Koreopa, who were killed at Taupo in 1847. Of this event the Rev, R. Taylor gives a detailed account. He had held a prayer meeting at Wang'unui in December, 1846. One of those present, Manihera, said that the people of Taupo were still heathen, and lie would go and endeavor to bring them out of darkness. Kereopa stood up, and said that when the apostles went Dut they went two by two, and he asked to accompany Mauihera. The two missionaries first visited the famous warrior, Rarigiliaeata. He listened to them, and made a feast for them ; but, when they were leaving, he laid his hand edgewise on the back of his neck, intimating that they were exposed to great danger in what they were attempting. They then went to the East Coast and then to Rotorua, At Rotorua they saw the Rev. Mr . Chapman. They had a letter for him from Mr Taylor, but through a mistake it had been sealed with black wax. Mr Chapman wrote an answer, and he also sealed his letter with black. Manihera remarked on this, and said, " This is a sure sign of death for us ; nevertheless, God's will be done." The people of Taupo had been at feud with the tribe to which Manihera belonged. A party lay in ambush for the missionaries, and fired at them as they came along the track. Huiatahi, an old chief, nearly seventy, immediately rushed out ot tho thicket, and chopped at Manihera with his hatchet, but his blows _ were too feeble to kill him, and it was a long time before ho fell. One stroke destroyed his sight ; ho then put up his hand, as it were, to wipe away the blood from his eyes. At last ho fell, but. still lingered trom tho morning, when this cruel tragedy was perpetrated, until sunset, ejaculating prayers for his murderers, that their eyes might be opened to the truth.

This little book, tho Gospel of St. Luke, is well worthy of every care for many reasons. It is a specimen of one of the earliest books printed in the Maori tongue, and its stained covers bring to remembrance those early Maori martyrs, who are not unworthy to be held in recollcct'oii with the most famous of thoso who have died for the Christian faith. Most fitting it is that this relic shonld remap in Auckland. It will recall to our children's children, hundreds of years hence, the early days of New Zealand, and show them that Maoris had courage to bo martyrs as well as to fight in the field.