WESLEYAN HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4693, 28 November 1876, Page 3

WESLEYAN HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS.

The annual meeting in connection with the conference, and in aid of the Home Mission Fund, was held last evening in the Wesleyan Church, Pitt-street. There was in attendance a large congregation. On the platform were the clergymen located in the country districts. The Revs. Wallis, Eowse, Schnackenburg, Smith, Williams, Gittos, Watkin; also the Rev. T. Buddie. The Revs. Mr. Kirk, J. Wallis, J. Brown, from the Duke of York rsland. The Rev. Mr. Kirk opened the proceedpgß. by giving out the 708 th Hymn, " Lord, if by thy command, &c." Mr. Richard Hobbs, of Pokeno, was called to the chair. The Chairman thanked the meeting for the honor they had conferred upon him. He was glad to see around him the faces of so many missionaries who had laboured hard in the cause, and with signal success. It had been some times said that the success had not been complete, but there were many evidences of the success, which was not the less because much remained to be done. He need not urge an Auckland district to encourage missionary enterprise. He had been some years ago one of the circuit stewards, and was well acquainted with the resources of the district, and the alacrity with which the Auckland people came forth to help the missionary cause. He was himself the son of one of the oldest missionaries who had visited New Zealand. He mentionedjthis fact, because it had been some time ago the fashion to stigmatise the sons of missionaries with something like reprobation. But he saw many of them doing excellent work in the colony, and maintaining the respect of all who knew them. He need not detain the meeting longer, but call upon the Rev. Mr. Buddie to read the general report. The Rev. Thomas Bdddle said he had no written report to read, but he would gladly give an account of the work which had been done. He thought that would be a very innarrative for such an occasion. He would nrst etate that the Maori missionß were supported, to a great extent, from this fund. There were missionaries at Hokianga, Kaipara, Raglan, and Waipa, the native missionaries being engaged chiefly at the above-mentioned places. The Wesleyan Missionary at Hokianga ministered to Europeans and natives. He had in his charge four European congregations, 114 church members, two local preachers and class leaders, with about 700 persons in all attending public worship. As to the natives of Hokianga, they had not yet learnt the art of giving,—that is to say, of supporting the cause of the Gospel and the work of God among themselves. The work of the Kaipara district was in satisfactory progress, and there the natives shewed in a most unmistakeable way their appreciation of the work. A sum of £178 had been contributed by the native congregation, supplemented by European subscriptions. This was a very gratifying circumstance in connection with the Kaipara district. The missionary engaged in that district also laboured among Europeans and Maoris. There were " home" missionaries at Kaukapakapa and Mahurangi. The native mission on the Waipa was in a satisfactory state. But a most interesting part of the work was the mission work among the Scandinavians lately arrived in this colony. The very excellent friend and brother who had charge of this work reported that he bad made five journies between Norsewood and Napier, Wellington and Masterton, having travelled 2508 miles. He had visited sixteen places. In Napier and Norsewood there were thirty church members. Mr. Morley leads a class at Napier. The missionary had baptised seven children of the Scandinavians. They were poor people, but had colle ;ted £70 towards his support, although he could not reckon on a larger sum than £50, in consequence of their poverty. Several had, however, promised to give land for Church purposes, and steps would be taken to secure such sites. . There were 3000 Scandinavians in New Zealand. The missionary had commenced the publication of a newspaper called the Cap-ier Dove, to which there were 200 subscribers. The contribution of Auckland last year was £617 , Taranaki and Wanganui, £427. The first included £350, and the second £127 for certain special purposes. Wellington, £2G6; Nelson, £61 15s 2d; Canterbury, £430; Otago, £37 15s. T!:'expenditure for the purposes of the Home Mission had been £781, so that there was an excess over income to be provided for. More help would, therefore, be necessary during the present year. It should be recollected that a considerable portion of the funds of mission properties had been deroted to educational objects. The expenditure for Taranaki and Wanganui was £334; Wellington, £296; Nelson, £52 7s 3d ; Canterbury, £490; Otago, £79 3s 9d. The local contributions would give an idea of the actual amounts raised and expended in each district. There was a most extensive work to be carried out in the Kaipara; there was new work to be undertaken in the JPukekohe district (East and VVest), including Tuakau, -Pokeno, Mauku, and Waiuku. There .was. most .needful work to be done at the Bay of Islands and the surrounding districts. He hoped they would be able to send another missionary to open up that ground. Then there was a most promising field at Wangarei, at Tauranga, and at the Piako, where a considerable number of people had gathered. There were large districts in the Waikato and other parts where the inhabitants were still destitute of the means of grace. There were places in the south of the island where similar demands were beirg made, and to undertake these works' both men and money would be required. He would allow the native missionaries, Ngapori, from Raglan, and Honi Weiti, from Kaipara, to speak for themselves. In the

meantime Mr. Prime would read the list of i local subscriptions. I Mr. F. li. Prime read the list of local subscriptions, as follows :—Collected by_ various ladies, £101 16s sd; public collections last .Sunday, £22 19s 3d; meeting that night, £10 5s 6d; rent from mission property, £32; Grafton Road Sunday-school, £20 12a 2d ; Pitt-street Sunday-school, £21; Kaukapa r k»pa (first fruits), 2s 6d. Collections towards rebuilding the house of the clergyman at Waima: From Auckland, £103 11s 4d; Taranaki and Wanganui, £16 9s; Wellington', £35'14s 6d; Nelson district, £11 Us; Canterbury, £58195; donations from Sydney, £6 16s. Ngapori and Honi Te Weiti, addressed the congregation in Maori, the Rev. Mr. Buddie acting as interpreter. There was a very fine choir, who rendered in a very effective manner several anthems, such as, "A Glory to God;" "Lord Be Merciful," &c. The Rev. Mr. Brown (from the Duke of York Island) rose to addre-,s the meeting, and was very cordially received. He said it was constantly stated that he came from New Guinea, but although the new missionary fie'd included part of New Guinea, he had not been there, and it was possible that place would not be open to missionary enterprise for some years to come. His operations were embraced wholly by the Duke of York Island and the Islands of New. Britain and New Ireland. When he arrived at Port Hunter he found no difficulty in landing; the place had been the resort of whalers, and there was a kind of broken English spoken which he was able soon to understand. PRESENTS. One of the first things that claimed his attention was the effect of giving presents to natives. He found that it involved a more serious consideration than people imagined. In the first place it was necessary not to be too liberal, for that would be construed into a precedent, "and natives were apt to form things into precedents; and if one missionary gave much they would regard the next missionary as a bad man because he did not give as much. He would mention that they had their steam-launch, and their whaleboat in tow, which carried the provisions. They had one old man, who, when the engineer, possibly through fear, threatened to leave the launch, said he would stick to the missionary at all events. This man was called " Old Jack," but his name was John Holmes—a most useful and efficient man. TRADERS AND MISSIONARIES. Natives were now beginning to understand the difference between traders and missionaries. There were various causes for this. They called the missionary "The man who did not like fighting." They allowed the missionary to land. Traders were afraid to land. Mr. Brown mentioned an instance of the artifice by which natives attempted to draw a trading ship on to the beach—namely, by fastening a piece of rattan to the rudder, and drawing it in during the night. The attempt, however, in the. instance stated, I was not successful. I LIMITED COSTCME. The first thing he found it necessary to give to a native chief was a " fathom" of cloth to tie round his waist, for these natives are perfectly naked, and a piece of red cloth to adorn his head. CANNIBALISM. At the island of Matapee several men had been cooked and eaten only a few weeks before he visited it. He had spoken of the isolation of the villages and tribes at the Choral Hall. This was a great difficulty to the missionary. Matapee is marked " Henderson Island" on the chart. The men (natives) he had with him were afraid to land there. That was the place where they tried to seize the Aurora brigCaptain Bennett. " King Tom," a native chief, had caused the massacre of the crew of the Lavinia, Captain Brodie. Proceeding to New Britain and Spacious Bay he found a considerable improvement in the manners of the native people. He believed this would be a most important mission field. There were no less than 17 teachers there. CURIOUS CUSTOMS. There is something like mysterious rites practised with the young chiefs. They are taken into the bush and fed upon pork, turtle, and shark for a number of years. They were initiated into a sort of caste with special ceremonies. But after they came out of the bush they were never after, during the whole course of their lives, to touch pork, turtle, or shark. 'The lad he had brought with him had been subjected to this initiation, and he refused to eat taro that had been brought in the same vessel that had a pig in it, although the taro was at one end of the vessel and the pig at the other. If a man had a grudge against another, he would never wash his face till he had his grudge out. There they black their faces against .the heat of the sun. It was a more sensible plan to black the face and wear white clothing than to leave the face uncovered and wear heavy black, as was the custom in other places. When a lady was offended and wanted to make away with herself, she went out to the bush tribes and asked that they might kill her, and she would probably be killed and cooked accordingly. That is one of the modes of suicide. Then they had "love-filters." To shew a lady certain plants was on the instant to captivate and enthral her affections. A snake's tail had the power even of transferring the affections of a married woman to the man who used this means. There was also a mode of " adoption" among these people that was curious. An old man or an old woman would adopt a boy or girl for no other purpose than that, if the old man or woman should die, there would be some one left behind to put their bodies into the sea or underneath the ground, as the case might be. PROTECTION OF WOMEN. One of the first receptions was by a crowd of men armed with spears, who bore down upon the missionary party with horrid yells. It was not nice. But there was another party who made a counter demonstration of precisely tho same kind. And that was the form of welcome. There was a chief who had five wives, and these five, as expected, gave him a great deal of trouble. One of them was seen speaking to one of these wives, and his jealousy was aroused. He speared the poor woman in several places, and hacked her shockingly with a tomahawk above the knee. Mr. Brown and the teachers took the woman into the mission-house. But some natives who had assembled to fight for the chief, demanded that the woman should be given up, that she might be killed and cooked. It was admitted that was what they wanted the woman for. He told the chief that Englishmen did not deliver women up to be ill-used or to be cooked. But there was a great demonstration about the house at night. Mr. Brown conferred with his companions, and it was resolved not to give the woman up. He, however, thought of an expedient to present the chief with a tomahawk and a string of bead money as a ransom for the woman. This seemed to have assuaged the general wrath. The effect of what that chief had seen therein since ap. peared to have had a great impression upon him, for he was at this moment in charge of the teachers for their protection. lIOW KNOWLEDGE AND RELIGION ARISE. When the missionaries arrive in these remote and unvisited places, the natives can do hardly anything for themselves. But the wives of the missionary teachers who were themselves as ignorant not a great many years ago, are observed to have many desirable accomplishments. They are seen to be clever at mat-making. The native women soon learn to make mats. Then the men see how the teachers put up a house ; they see how timber can be worked. They see the tools that are_ used. They become eager to learn. In this way their mind is opened for knowledge. So their powers of observation and apprehension become expanded. This leads to a disposition to unite and be friendly, for objects of a common benefit. Tho feeling extended to villages being propagated in a singular and eomewhat poetic fashion. PEACE. A Fijian teacher was preaching at Nukukuru. He had been impressing upon his native hearers the necessity of their opening friendly relations with their neighbours. A chief

rose up, and'' breaking off a sprig oldru tma (the ti-tree) bade him take it to the chief of the next village and request him- to make a rohd between the places. ■ The chief to whom it iwas taken planted it in his ground, and this was a ' token of peace and that peace should be between thi two places ever after. This led to road-making.' Aa to the results, one immediate result was a trade between the two places. Thus, where the missionary was, trade in time sprang up. . Tho German traders of Tonga had a saying that where the missionary passed one ton grew into 500 tons. And this was a truth that was apparent even from a comparatively limited observation. TEACHERS. ,The cost of a native teacher was from £5 to £10 a-year. Mr. Buddie had mentioned The munificent gift.of the steam launch, by Mr. Reed. He was happy to say that a gentleman had expressed his willingness to be at a charge of £200 a-year for the education of the children of the missionaries who might be employed. The climate was unhealthy, and several of the teachers were laid down with fever and ague. He thought that missionaries must remain with the native teachers to do work which they could not do. He believed the whole of this region full of promise in its fulfilment. The collection was announced to be £10 usGd. The Rev. Mr. Buddlb pronounced the benediction, and the meeting separated.