A CHURCH JUBILEE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 9

A CHURCH JUBILEE.

MxAORI FAR INCIDENT RECALLED. (Thom Ouk Own AUCKLAND, May 1. Special services to celebrate the diamond jubilee of tho Presbyterian Church atPukekohe East were held on Sunday. The Moderator of the Assembly, the Rev. A. J. Comrie. preached at. both services to crowded congregations. Mr Comrie had himself been brought up in the district. The church building, which has recently been renovated, was in 1865 the scene of a terrible struggle with the Maoris. The male residents and a few of tho military had barely time to construct defences of slabs and logs, surrounded bv a ditch, when the Natives besieged them. Fighting was commenced on September 14 at 9 a.m., and it was continued until 12.30, when reinforcements came from Springfield. However, the struggle was continued until 3 p.m., when a force of over 200 soldiers from Drury drove the Natives into tho bush. Three Europeans were killed and seven were wounded. while Rewi is stated to have admitted later that, the Natives lost 26 killed and 56 wounded, half of whom died later.

“I did not see an egg for five years The nearest cow was 2000 miles away and the nearest horse still further,” related the

I Rev. Tremaine, in the course of his lecture at Palmerston North on tho North Amorican Indians and the blonde Eskimos.

“Any birds safe from the stoat were very plentiful,’’ stated Mr R. J. Barton in a report to the Southland Acclimatisation Neeley on a trip to No. 1 Block, Manapouri. £ie stated that he had shot a sparrow hawk

and five wild hoar, and that he had seen 17 pigeons, in one flight, about half a dozen crested geese, 15 paradise ducks, seven swans, about 20 grey ducks, and 30 of a smaller species.