DEPARTURE OF THE JOHN WILLIAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 567, 11 October 1862, Page 8

DEPARTURE OF THE JOHN WILLIAMS.

VALEDICTORY SERVICE.

Yesterday morning a numerous party, consisting of about 300 pe'sins, connected for the most part with the different Congregational churches in the city, had an excursion trip down the harbour, their special object being to attend a valedictory service on board the mission barque John Williams, and to bid farewell to the three mUsio.uiries and their families, who were leaving for the scenes of their future labour. The party ns-scmli'od at the Ciicular Quay at t< n o'clock, and as many as could be conveniently aco.iinmodafcpri on hoard the Herald weic convey -d in that boat to the John Williams, fie.i Ij ing below Garden Island, th(i steamer returning for those left behind on the (juay. S )on after the arrival of tie party on board the l>arq».", the valedioLory yervice was commenced by the Rev. T. Griffith, of Ipswich, Queensland (at present supplying the Coiigregatio.ial pulpit in Pitt-street), announcing the lOJth hymn in the now Congreg.itionnl Hymn Book, oomiueueing with tho wordb, " Jesus shall reign where'er the sun," which was Ming by all present. This wa» followed by tha reading of the 72nd Psalm. Prayer WiM then offered by "the llcv. Slatyer, after which —

Tlio Roy. S. C Kent.siid he had been requested by the friend* to sny a f»\v words to their brethren and sisters on tli'ir departure for the scenes of their missionary exertions, and although ho wished that some other than himself li.ul been selected, he would not occupy their time in up iloay. Tt had occurred to him that morning that tin: appeal of the fiog to the b)vi would apply lo their mis-ioniry brethren ju»t about leaving:— '' It is fun to you, but deatli to us." It was very well to pet up a pl-nic excursion down the harbour, but the present occasion was anything but pleasant to many. Parents wore parting from' their children, mid children from their parents ; and friend was parting from friend, and the question uppermost in every mind was Row, and \\h"ii, and where should they meet again. They tri'&ftd they should meet again on earth, but whether they did or not they made a solemn yew, relying on the grace and stiength of their Heavenly F<ithor<om''otin hfiven. They rejoiced that they had on board that vessel tbcea missionary brcthien, wuo were obeyi.ig the great injunction of I th'ir .Lord au-1 Master : — "Go ye into nil the world and preach the Gfospel to every creature." They knew one of them who nml been in the work before ; and he (Mr. Kent) felt confident, if the Governorship of New South Wales were offered to him that morning, he would prefer to go in that yes-el. The two others were new to the work. One hid bean preaching the Gospel in the Fatherland, and in the colonies— and he would pa'don him for saying that they all could have wished that he had a sifter or wife to accompany him. The third had likewise devoted himself to the work. They were all goinj: forth animated and strengthened by the love of Christ, which had induced them to make apncrifiej bcsilo wliic'i all other banrlfices were inaignitioant. And while tiiesj were goin? forth, they rejoiced that with them were some earnest Christian ladies aLso going forth to enga»e in the good work. We should be ashamed, indeed, if while l hey had men topenetiate the African regions, and pi ouch the sea for commerce, they found none giving themselves up to the evangelisation of the heathen ; but it was a source of great gratification to fiud delicate ladies making the sacrifice, giving up the delicacies of civilisation and the comforts of horne — leaving the nearest aud dearest on carth — to go forth aud teach the ignoraut benighted heathen, cheered by the thought that they should meet their U ionds in heaven. Some were going back to their spiritual children ; others were going out animated by tho love of Christ, and the love for souls : some were going to meet their parents and others to meet their husbands. They remembered the story of Napoleon's wounded soldier, who, when the surgeon was probing the wound to find the bullet, snid, "Go a little deeper and you will find tho Emperor." And they could find in the wounded bleeding hearts of their missionary friends that day that Christ had been formed in their heaits the hope of glory. For them to live was Christ,, and to die would be gain. It was not for for him to counsel them, bu^ so fur as tho voyage was C( neerned, lie might tell them that he almost envied them. He should like to get a few weeks for quiet, uninterrupted study and prayer. Then thoy would have the benefit of communion with oach other — a Christian company of brethren aud sisters in Christ —soldiers in the great army of the Captain of their salvation. It would be happy to speak lo each other of God's goodness. They would nlso have around them the snuls of the crew, who needed their efforts, and upon whom their missionary work might appropriately begin. Go then, and they who were left behind would not forgot to pray for them. They wo aid pray for them, and teach their children to pray for them also, that in their future spheres of labour they might be filled with holy power. At their prayermeetings, and on the Sabbath in public, they would pray for them, and always cherish for them feelings of affection ile interest. Moreover if they .(the missionaries) -.could find time to write, their letters w ( ould be read in their me : ting9, and be replied to : and he knew of nothing which tended so much to preserve a

missionary spirit in the churches as direct communication with those actively engaged in the work. The connection between prayer aud work had been likened to two parties, one working in a pit and the other at the mouth holding the rope. If they (the missionaries) would work, the friends in Sydney would firmly hold the rope. They were going to some they knew upon the islands ; let them know that they wet c not ibrcotteu, but that others would be sent by and by to assist them—young men who w.nild give themselves and all they possessed to the missionary work. He would not longer occupy their time, but in conclusion he wished them every success, and hoped that, after a long and useful career, they would be able to say, I have fought my way through ; I hnve finished the work thou hast given me to do. Enter into ray joy and sit down on my throne.

The Rev. T. Griffith said he had come from another colony, and he wished to toll his missionary brethren, on behalf of the Congregational churches in Queensland, that they deeply sympathised with them in their work, and would not fail to pray for them. Everything that had been taid to th m by Mr. Kent had been so well said, that it was not necessary for him to say more ; but he would remind those to whom they were about to bid farewell, that they were goina 1 forth upon the holiest and best of missions, and he trusted their efforts would be crowned by tlie Master with --nccess.

The Rev. Mr. GiU, on behalf of himself and friende and the ship's company, re.turned thanks for the kie Ines*" received during their stay in Sydney. He said he ha I sepn a good deal of New South Wales, and of the other co'oni''s, and he could bear witness to the sympathy expressed for him in all the colonies, and the interest manifested in the work in which they had been ensjaored. He believed that was the experience also of his other brethren in the colonies. He trusted tint now, coins as they were among the untaught heathen on the islands, where in some'ease? the white man's foot had never trod — for they were nlwivts trying to open up new ground— and in a hostile cliinvte, the prayers of those they were leaving behind would follow them. He also trusted that they would pray for the missionary's wife - waiting alone, day after day, for the return of her husband, who was frequently away in other parts of the island ; her life wis particularly a life of trial, and not unfrequently she pined away, aud found an early grave in a distant land. Fie hoped also they would pray for tiie missionary's children, that they might be preserved from every taint of heathenism. To one and all he now said farewell. He and his brethren were going among the heathen, and pe-liaps they might fall and find a premature grave, but they were cheered by the thought that they should meet their Christian friends again in the better land above. The service terminated with prayer offered by the Rev. T. Johnson.

The, party, among whom, beside those already mentioned, .ye observed ihe Rev. A. Buzacott, llev. T Smith, Rev. J. West, and others, bade farewell to the missionaries, and left in two steamers for Watson's Bay, where about one hundred landed, and the olhers proceeded in th. 3 . Herald up Middle Harbour, both steamers returning to Circular Quay, and landing the party at. five o'clock. Assion as the friends had left for Watson's Bay tho anchor was weiuhed on board the John Williams, and slip proceeded down the harbour, but, owing to the north-east breeze which prevailed, it was nightfall before "he cleared the beads. She is bountl, in the first instance to Norfolk Island, to Land a native teacher, and then on to the different groups, landing on her way tho llev. Mr. Sleigh at Lif'u, t'aeltev. Mr. Vivian at Iluihine, the Rev. Mr. (ti!l at Mangaia, Mrs. C'reagb (wife of the He y. Mr. Creaghj and son at Mare, and Mrs. Royal and daughter, and Miss Pla'tt (daughter of one of the rai&sionaries) at t eir respective destinations. — From the Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 20.

The Etthick Siiepiieud's Uog. — This dojr, though of <i sullen disposition, managed a flock with extraordinary skill. On one occasion about 700 lambs, which were under hi:> x care at weaninj* time, broke up at midnight, and scampered off in three divisions acro s s the hills, in spite of all that his master and an assistant lad could do to keep them together. " Sirrah," cried the shepheul, in much sorsow, "my man, they're a' awa'." The night was so dark that, he could not see his dog; but no sooner did Sirrah hoar these words than he quietly set off in search of the lambs. The .shepherd and the lad did, meanwhile, what they could, and spent the whole night iv scouring the hills for miles around, but of neither the flock nor the dog could they find a trace. "It was," says Hogg, "the most extraordinary circumstance that had ever occurred in the nniinls of pastoral life. As day had dawned, we had nothing for it. but to return to our master, and tell him that we had lost his whole flock of lambs, and knew not what was become of one of them. On our way home, however, we discovered a body of lambs at the bottom of 11 deep ravine, and the indef itigabl.- Sirrab standing in f out of them, looking all around for some relief,, but still true to his charge. The sun was then up, and when we first came within riew of them we concluded that it was one of the divisions of the lambs that Sirrah had been unable to manage until lie came to that commanding situation. But what was our astonishment when we discovered by degrees that not. one lamb of the whole fl ick wns wanting. How he bad got all the divisions collected in the dark is bejond my comprelmiibion. The charge was left entirely lo himself fro-n midnight until the rising of the sun, anl, if all th 1 - shepherds in the forest had been I here to have assisted him, they cou'd not have effected it with greater propriety. AH thnt I can further say i's, that I never felt so grateful to any creature below the sun as I did to my honest Sirrah that movniii'r."

Sundays in tttk Fields, — "I don't doubt it, IJ utter, ai.d I don't presume to condemn nny man who. having ihade earnest search after truth, arrives at different conclusions to my own. B'tt speaking of church going and church-goers (the point we started fioni), yiMi will allow that there is a good d al of humbug amongst those advanced > hikmplrrs of the present day, who. while they sneer at the hollowness and formality of church sn-vices, the inMiicerity of preachers, and the wn-hlliness of congregations, pi ate (ilnut 'natural piety' and 'worshipping God in the fi»!ds ' uiuV r the cmopy of heaven f>uch people talk <••> lifvingly enough about the sins of cliiireh-fyoprs — !h jir iu''onsi-.le".ces, their criticism of bonnets and fashions, tboir worldly (iwsip a-< soon as they leave the house of God; but it often strikes me that there is as much humbug in the sentimental sort of religion these te ichors profess, as in that of the most inconsistent stickler for orthodoxy. People don't go into the fields to worship God. They go for air. for exercise, for a pleasant Sunday walk — to gather primroses when tin-re are any — to wipe the (lust of cities oil' tluiir feet, and taste those pure natural pleasures which arc instincts with man. John Bunyan, perhaps, or the meditative. Cowper, might pray out in the fit-Ids ; taints and martyr* may have done it scores of times, but our nineteenth-century philosophers don't do it ; aud they would be much surprised, I think, if they caught the working-man (their favorite disciple) s-tyinE his prayers anywhere about Hanipstead or Blackheath. No, it requires more spirituality of mind than we most of us possess, to worship God amidst such surroundings. We ought to, and I da-e say often do for a moment, feel our thoughts elevated to the Great Giver of all things, at the sia;ht of sun-shining and green leaves and wayside flowers ; but we can scarcely dignify such transient emotions — mere impulses wrought by the influences of the hour — with the title of worship," — Frazer's Magazine.

German Remkdy for Sleeping in Ohitroh. — The People's Gazette of Berlin has the following curious parngrnph :—": — " Many Protestant clergymen in Germaiy having complained that persons of both sexes are in the habit ot sleeping during 1 the sermon, a new plan has been adopted to keeu thorn awnke. The beadles, furnished with long wands, keep moving about the church and lightly touch those whom they catch napping. This plan has been already tried with success in the Due.hvof Snxe-Gotha.' '

l)n n't Want his GusnToar. A cute villager, who was rather hard -up, entered the grocery of a good-natured German, and called for crackers, which, after receiving, he entered into conversation with some others in the place, and was on tho point of leaving, when he remarked to the proprietor, that ho thought he would not take the crackers, but would take some beer instead, and returning them, drank the beer, aud was about, to leave when the Dutchman called out : — " Hey, you sir, you no pays me for de pior," "Why, yes, I did, I gave you the crackers for the beer." " But you no pays me for de crackers." "Why, I did not have, the crackers." The simple-minded Dutchman, after vainly trying to cypher out how he was a loser in the transaction, at length exclaimed, — " Veil, it may bees as it ish all right, but I don't want tiny more of your guslitom."

French Red-Tapei?m. — In the good town of B tho inspector-general of girrisions found a sentinel posted near certain ruins of the suburb, which possessed no interest or beauty to justify so honorable a protection. Being asked why he was placed there, the soldier referred to the sergeant, who referred to the officer, who stated that his orders came from the commandant of the place. The last named told the general that the consign was a bequest from a pre-. doee*sor, who, being written to, gave a similar answer. A search was then mado in the archives of the town from the then current year 18W back to 1785, the beginning of the documentary series. Nothing was discovered further than that the sentinel was posted near the ruins at that time. The inspector-general was obstinate, and on his return to Par-is he set on foot researches among the papers at the Ministry of War. £.t length be discovered, in the correspondence of 1720,' that' tha building represented by the ruined walls had been a store housu for soldiers' mattresses, which was usually left to take care" of itself, but the door haying been re-painted, a guard was placed th"va to prevent passengers spoiling the paint before it was dry. Before it was quite dry, nowever, the commandant had quitted the town without any explanation of consign, and hidsucoessors, making no inquiries, continued posting the sentinel near the storehouse door, and left the routine orders to bis successors for more than, 100 years.

Political Fireworks. — A letter from Rome, dated July Bth, relates the following amusing incident : — "On Sunday evening, soon after dark, whilst the streets were still crowded with festa promenadera, a demonstration took place, which, although of a very picturesque and harmless nature, did not fail to excite the indignation of the police, and to 'cause the arrest bf several innocent individuals. The demonstration consisted in Bengal lights thrown down, with slow matches attached, on the most conspicuous piazzas—such as those of the Popolo, San Carlo, Colonna, Sciarra, and Venezia, and some of the most elevated positions of the city, such as the steps of tho Trinita dei Monti, whence they simultaneously threw forth their vivid red, white, and green rays, to the amusement of the spectators and to the bewilderment of the gendarmes, who had hot work of it in running from one light to another to stamp out the offending and obstinate flames. On the Piazza di Venezia there was a patrol of 10 Papal s;''ndarm o s. who witnessed the suddmi illumination of the niazza in various points without being able to detect the mysterious agents. One of the nrendarmes, in bis impotent rage, drew forth, his sabre, brandished it in the air, and then struck the pavement furiously with it, exclaiming, with a few vifforous Romagnese objurgations, 'If I can but get hold of one of tke^e scomulrels I'll slice him to pieces like a cocomero.' Bxit the amateur lamplighters, having apparently no wish lo become water-melons in the hands of the infuriated geniarmo, kept aloof from him, and the indifferent spectators only indulged in a laugh at his expense. But the most ingenious and significant part of the demonstration consisted in a large transparency erected on two poles in the vineyard of Signor Farina, whichissituatodontheri'rhtbankoftheTiber.lopposito the port of llipetta. During the daytime a ferry-boat plies across the river at this point, and people wishing to reach St. Peters without traversing the city take this route, crossing 1 the meadows outside the castle of St. Anarelo, and re— ontrinpf the city walls at Porta Angelica, But nt nightfall the ferry-boat ia chained up nt tho. Ripetta port by the Custom House officers, and therefore, the gendarmes, who would fain have extinguished the transparency which bore the inscription. "Viva Vittorio Emanuele, Ited'ltalia, Viva «\i Alleati dell Italia ! " had no means of getting across, and were reduced to the necessity of contemplaHng it from the left bank of the river, in company with the numerous spectators who crowded the Rinetta street, and the steps of the port." Dr Paru's Love-Letter. — The following appears in the Lcadbeater Papers : — T copy for your amuseD)ent Dr. Parr's letter to the lady he has lately married :—": — " Madame, — You are a very charming woman, and I should be happy to obtain you as a wife. If you accept mv proposal I will tell you who was the author of ' Junius.'— S. P." This is admirable. In appealing to the curiosity, rather than the heart, of the lady, the Doctor displayed, at the same time, his modesty and knowledge of women.

An Alarming Arrest. — For sometime a series of petty thefts has been noticed in the Austrian Department of the International Exhibition; and though the loss in detail was small, its aggregate threatened to become serious. The other morning the plan of disguise adopted just before the opening of the building by the workmen of Messrs. Morgan Brother*, when night labor became a necessity so imperative as to defy tin' rules and regulations of the commissioners, wns put in practice again by the police. A detective nTn-r-r from Scotland-yard was wrapt up in green ' a ; z •, like a stitue, and set upon the watch. He hal n»t to wait-long before the thief came, and took a pair of boots, with which he was quietly stealing .away, when the figure he had suppose.d to be lifeless embraced him. The fright of the larcenous captive was so inten-e, thnt the captor was iv turn alarmed, thinking he should have to answer for having terrified the poor wretch out ot his wits or hi" life. However, nothing quite so shocking has resulted from the stratagem. The purloiner of the boots, and, it may be presumed, of other property, "was led off to answer tin charge at Westminster Police Court. He was an attendant in the service of a French exhibitor. — English Paper. Farewell Dinner to Mr. Wilson Gray. — A miblie dinner to Mr. Wilson Gray, on his departure for New Zealand, was given last evening, at Hrickin's Hotel, Elizabeth -street. The company numbered nearly 100, and included about thirty members of the Legislative Assembly, taken from all sides of the House. Mr. Richard Heales presided, Mr. G. Higinbothnra performing the duties of vice-chairman. The health of the guest of the evening was received in the mo«t enthusiastic manner, and Mr. Gray's speech, in reply occupied nearly an hour — Argus, Aug. 29.

Very Explicit. — A Yankee riding up to a Dutchman, exclaimed, ""Well, stranger, for acquaintance sake, what might be your name I ? '' " Vy, mv name is Haunch HollenhofFcnhiffenhoffengradensteiner." "By Cane Cod, if that ain't as long as pumpkin vine. Well, I han't no time to lose — I'm on a speculation ! Tell me the way to Harrisburg." "To Havirisbivn ) Veil, you see dat roat upon de hill?" pohiting?in tiie direction. " Oh, yes, 1 see it." " Veil, den, you mnsht not dake dat roat. You see dis roat by the coal bank ? " "Yes. " " Veil, dat ia not the roat too ; but you must go rc?lar streight py de parn here, and yen you see yon roat crooks jusht so, (bending his elbows," and describinc: it at the' same time), and yen you get dere, keep right along till you gets further. Veil, den, you will turn the potato path* round the pridge over de river up stream, and de hill irl, and directly you will see mine prodder Fitz's parn, shingled mit straw, dats de house where mine p'rodde'- lives. ' He'll tell yon so petter as I can. And you must go little pit furl her, you see two roats — \o'i musht not take both of 'em." The Yankee rode off at the top of bis speed.

Unproductive Land. — A New Jerppy paper states that there nic lands in that sta f e, which will not support three whip-poor-wills to an acre, any way you on fK it, under tho b«st cultivation. He of the

Boston Times snvs I hat tfiese mv.st be like some lands in New Hampshire, which Ihe owners are obliged to fence, in order to keep their cows from {.oing on and starving ! FmsT Case u.vder the Land Act. — A case of some importance, nn'l the first of the kind under the new Land Aef, will ha inquired into on Friday morning, nt Wrigley's ('ommi ivial Hotel, Talbot. before the sheriff and' nsprehl jnq of four. At tho drawing for allotment 1 ' in ti e Evansford area, which took place a few days slnee, in Maryborough, one Cunningham was declared tlm successful applicant for tho most valnaVe allotment in the area. Th" next highest on , the list was a person named M'Ken'i, residing at Oambrook. who iwvr'seelcs to dipriw Cixnninpham of the a'Motment, on the ground that he is under age. M' Kean has engiged Mr Hosluns to support his ciso; whether Cunninphnm ■will hnve the benefit of professional assistance is not as yet stated The case is of considerable importance to the contending partie", as may be inferred from the f -et ot Cunningham, havinar been offered .-filjCPO for his bargain almost immedhtclv nfter the drawing had taken place and he hal Yen declared the successful competitor.

F,}ibkzzt/khent. — A tfleprarn in thfi Age dated Sandhurst, 27th September, says the Evening Neios, of this date snvs that a few mimifcs 'before we went to press, Mr Huorh Gi-aystock, teller in the Oriental Bank, was arrested by Detective Thompson on a charge of embezzlement. Deficit amounts to upwards of two hundred pounds. He was lodged in the municipal lock-up. A Victorian Acupicmone — Tn the District Court ye=teiMay, in Rintel v. Fisher, the complainant proppedert against tho defendant nominnljy for abusive language, hut in reality to obtain restitution of his ■wife, the sister- ia-law of the (Iffnndant. 3o far as could be gathered from a rninblino; statement made by the complainant, it appeared that the defendant, Morgan Fi-her, bad onstittited himself the bead prophet of a "ort of small colonial A^apemone. eiaht or tennrnlei from MelLourne, but the prpci^e locality was not uTiflerstood. UompJainant had tnken his wife and child down there mi a short visit tn her sister, defendant's wife, and while there the child was rather poorly, whereupon the defendant, calling himsolf the prophet of the Lord of Hosts, insisted that complainant should oast the devils out of thp child,, or failinir that, ns non-success would jhow a lnmpnt'ible wrnt of fnith, it; would bp the prophet's mission to drive him fi^m the place. The complainant detailed n course of friorhtful blasphemies which ho sta f ed the defen hint had uttcecl on this and on othpr occasions, and related how the prophet armed bimself with a club, ami, after threatening complainant's life, obli-red tiie lattpr to retreat. He had since en'leavore'l to obt-iin his wife, but the brethren would not allow her to leave. The defendant denied that he detained the young voman, ami said she preferred remaining where she. w.ia. lie th« % n railed two of the brethren, who, wMi himself, in tlvir outward man Dresented the appearance of balf-erazy fanatics, with long hair, which had not known the effect of comb or brush for years, and having in their general aspect other beto'coninsr* of a dislike for cleanliness ia its lightest form. Mr TTackett recommended the complain, nt to co down to the place, and take away his wife.— Argus. A Detkotive's Mistake at TnE Exhibition. — Mr G. Hine, a member of the Society of Friends, appeared before Mr Dayman, nt the Westminister Police Court, on Monday, onVemaud (having been held to bail jn two sureties of L 250 each) to answer the charge of having .attempted to pick the pocket of a lady at the International Exhibition on Tuesday last. Mr Sleigh, instanced by Smyth, attended for the prisoner, and disapproved the accusation brought asrainst him. , Mr fobden, M.P., Mr Brocklehwst, M.P. tor Maoclesfield ; Mr Eq;er(on, M.P., MrSwinnerton, Mr May, town-clerk of Mncclesfield, were then sworn, The evidence of each Nvent to show that ' the family were known to them as being one of the ' • most respectable, in the town. The accused had a high character for morality and honesty, and waa totally incapable of Committing the offence with which he was charged. He was known to each for years. Mr Dayman saitf that after hearing the evidence of 8Q many highly-respectable witnesses he must say that , there could not be the slightest suspicion against the prisoner, and that, in discharging lifm from the bar, he left the Court without a stain' upon his character. The accused then left 'the Court -with his friends. — Scotsman. ' ' ' -',','