EARLY CHRISIIANITY IN N.Z.

NZ Truth, Issue 602, 30 December 1916, Page 3

EARLY CHRISIIANITY IN N.Z.

Samuel Marsden's Successors ii the Mission field ! . ■■ ■■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■ .•!-■'"■ ■ •■■ ■ '■ * Gku»4 bn Many Source* and Authentic R*c«r&— lßl4-1852 Fttett and Ftflu**, C^npiM by J. M. Fm*. | v . ■ - ' •■ took 6.-Oi|to 25 (continued) Some Letter* of Historic Import— Mr*. Selwyn's First View of Port Nicholson and Wellington— "Not Di«appointed m the Beauty of the Place.J 1

' "Then we heard that the brig was going south, and after many pros and eons, George settled to take me with him to Waikanae. I felt much pulled both ways, but indeed he has so much to harass him of late, that I did feel that It was right that he should go. The question of where there would be disturbance seemed equaL I left 3ohnny and nurse at Auckland, for though I /might find disturbances I knew I should not find a cow at Waikanae. Wejli , this will not be amusing to you. Suffice to say that we came on board on Thufsdasr^evening, the 20th, and sailed for Taraifaki; my maidens twain are with me, Bota also, who is m a state of at going among his own peo^ld'f George. Willy, and I make up our^artjr. The brig is very full, s\)me goljigfto Hobart Town because they are, aj&ra& to stay ra New Zealand, and some'^yaranakL. . Many, people have .left* Sfew Zealand, and wany more wouliflf tbey could. But though It will surely be that the coun^try Is unsettled for some time, and possibly many outbreaks may, occur, ,Wblti will make It very unpleasant, perhaps more, I cannot say I have yet felt personally afraidl Wait tm yoti are tried, perhaps you will say, and say right too; but unless the future is characterised by what did not appear at the Bay of, Islands, savageness, pernonal violence and the like, the mere loss of property, though unpleasant m a great degree, need 'not alarm us or make us run away! J; However, we are beyond the reach of such thoughts, for, of course, the Bame reasons which Induce other people to depart ought only to strengthen ours to remain. We may. more and more need your prayers, dear people, more and more will you pray for ua I am assured. The captain was obliged to alter his course on Friday (Good' Friday it was), and go south, bo that I fear I shall ralss tho beauteous Taranakl and the. Bollands. We have had a most calm and beautiful passage, and anchored In Port Nicholson on the morning of the tGth. I was not disappointed m the beauty of tho place, though It rained nearly without ceasing during the flay r and a -halt we were there. We spent one evening at Mr. Cole's and the next day m going* about a very little, paying a long visit to Mrs. St. Hill's, where Mr. Hatfleld Is, dining with Dr. and Mrs. Foulheratone, and coming on board m the evening. We weighed anchor at four m the morning, and have been boating against a foul wind till now, when we are nearly becalmed oft Cloudy Bay. I must not omit to oay that Mr. Govett is with us. He la< reading for orders, and Georgo hopes to ordain him on Trinity Sunday and leave- him at Waikanae. I saw Mr 4 HaUfleld yesterday tor a short time. 1 am afraid ho la dying; to our erring Judgment his loss scorns to bo' Incalculable, but I looked on tho composed and holy expression of his face with awe and envy, thinking how happy was he whoso short life had been, •pent m fulfilling his ministry m no" eminent a degree, and In doing such native service. I did not stay long ■with him, for he was eager to see George and hear all his talo and talk of his own beloved Hock. He [ was very glau that wo are going: 'among them, and there I really expect to enJoy myself greatly, that it If I have any l*l»ute from tho Incessant physicking lit which my days will surely bo passed. I omuso myself with thinking that while you ore picturing mo In scenes; el! woe und danger, I shall havo been pairing my time vory tranquilly In making pills and spreading plalstera at "Walkanae. But this sort of friendly ©/lie* binds tho natives to you. The brlK l« going on to Hobart Town to fetch troops for the defence of WolWtunon. which I by no means say are avi> not wan ltd now, but I bop« we nrny Im> ablo to do a little at Walkanao towards keeping the poac* of the district; George, a good deal, for I cannot put my woman's ministration* m the sumo balance at his."

The Dr. Featherstone mentioned by Mrs. SeJwyn was Isaac Karl Featherston, M.IX, the fourth son of Thomas Peatherston, of Cotfield House, Durham. Born m Durham on March 21, 1813. Taking his M.D. degree m Edinburgh m 1836. He was one of ; the earliest settlers In Wellington, under the New Zealand Company. He took a prominent part m tho agitation for self- government In iB6O and about In 1852, when the province of Wellington was constituted he was elected the first Superintendent, .and represented Wanganui m Parliament, 1853 to 1871, when be resigned the Superintendency. Prom July 12 to August 2, he was Colonial Secretary under Mr. Fox, and held office without a portfolio under the same gentleman from November 16, 186S, to March 31, 1871. In January, 1866, he persuaded the friendly Maoris about Wanganui to join General Chute In his campaign on tho West Coast and his march towards Mount Bgzabnt; and he himself accompanied and led the Maori contingent In the various actions at Otapawa and elsewhere. For his gallantry f n these occasions he received the New Zealand Cross on the recommendation of General Chute. In 1869, Dr Featherston was sent borne to England In company with Mr. Dillon Bell, as commissioner to treat with the Impend* Government for a force to put down rebellion and to raise another force for colonial service. When tho Yogel Government started the Public j Works policy the commissioners were Instructed to arrange with the Homo Government to guarantee a loan for £1,000,000 for publio works and immiI gration, to be spent at a rate not exceeding £200,000 a year. This they succeeded m doing. By the Public j Works and Immigration Act of 1870, the office of Agent-General m London was created, and Dr. Feathers ton b«eamo first Agent-General. This post hey held from tho year 1871 till the death at Brighton on June 19, 1876. Dr. Fcatherston married m 1839, a daughter of Mr. A. Scott, of Edinburgh (Mennell). •■ • • A month later Strs. Selwyn again wrote Miss Selwyn\ from Waikanae: "1 have a short time allowed me m which to write a few linea to Wellington. Ido so upon the' chance, though not with th,o hope, of Qiero being a vessel or an opportunity from England, as tho recent accounts from Now Zealand will have exerted some anxiety m your minds, and you will be anxious for further jildings of us. I wrote you last In the brig about the end of March, and left my letters, with others, m tho care of the captain, to be sent on to Kng-land by way of Hobart Town. Wo landed at Waikanae, the point of destination, March 29, since which time, with the exception of a small party of whalers, who camo to church at Otaki, we have not B&an the face of any English person excepting our own party, and we certain- . ly havo fek much more at our oa*e living entirely among the natives than m the settlements, where people get frightened and frighten themselves by reports of their evil Intentions. I do not pretend to judge of the real state of the case or to offer any opinion of the Intentions of the Maoris, if they have any, for we do not fcce'tho evilly disposed peoplo much. I can only say that all we have had to do with are most friendly and hospitable, and after a week's tour amongst them, 1 have returned with no alarmed Impressions about thwn. My Intercourse with them is of a character so entirely apart from all formidable ideas people have now the habit of entertaining about them that I have to rouse myself to think of tho fears with which they are In so many cases regarded. Teaching and doctoring are the staples we deal m; moro of the latter than of tho former, and m physicking a community, for It la ♦wholeaa'.o work, you cease Trom overpowering; alarms. Thevars so comical and no willing to take anything you rUv. anil to thlr.k it all very good, and that they know nothing and you know everything; this 1m iho point o( the- mutter, if you live otoopk them, yeu llnd them loaklajj up to ypu and cllnglnc to you at oil points, and «o tho Tear ccusca. "But thla la of the nature or a prose, ao I will t«U you that WaUtunao la In the sandhill* near Uw ahoro opposite Kapitl; from .horo towards Wei* Ungton nlno miles, and towards Mana-

watu twenty miles, the sands are magnificent, and on the other side beyond the sandhills and a- little plain of tolerably good land, rises a most pretty range of hills, for the most part wooded; Mr. Hadfield's horses are here. "We brought our saddles and I have greatly enjoyed some rides. How little did I ever think to be galloping with Joyce along the shores of the Pacific Ocean! You cannot think how fine it is and such a tonic We went to Otald a fortnight ago, spent a week there, and saw a good deal of Te Hauparaha, the man concerned In the Wairau matter. He was very civil to us, and his son, William Thompson, is one of the best natives I have seen. Thence George took a little bush expedition up the Manawatu. I longed to go and see with my own eyes how so large a part of bis life is spent. There was no walking, for I rode to the banks of the river, and then went m a canoe, a two days' journey, to such a beauteous pass between the hills on either side; but I slept four nights m j a tent and the other throe m a little ! ratrpo hut. Yesterday we returned to Waikanae, and here I shall remain till the brig comes to take me to Auckland, bnt I hope she will not do so until the 19th May, when George will be ready to return also. ''Many more troops have arrived from Sydney, and some are expected from Hobart Town Will you let folks know that we are alive and well and living quietly here? By the last mail from Auckland all was quiet there also. This is very old news." • •' • More about William Thompson presently. ' (To be continued.)