OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1934, Page 13 (Supplement)

OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

THE SPIRIT OF SELWYN

(By

J.H.S.

.-Copyright)

Good fellowship between the ministers and members of all congregations was one of the most pleasing features of every day’s doings in the early days of Taranaki, each helping the others in the erection of the raupo and toitoi whares to be used as places of worship. The first cause of discord came when the Wesleyans, aided by a grant of £lO from the New Zealand Company, having erected a temporary church in Brougham St., refused to allow the sacred raupo shelter to be used for a flower show, when its removal was insisted upon by the directors of the company. Interest then centred in the first visit of Bishop Selwyn, who tramped from Wellington by the coast line, covering fourteen miles a day for the journey of 240 miles. The perfectly simple and informal nature of worship under the direction of - this broad-miinded man of genius appealed to every section of the community and especially to the impressionable Maori people. Before leaving for the South, the Bishop selected the site for St. Mary’s Church and parsonage on the. slope of Pukaka, now known as •Marsland Hill. It was an old Maori garden amid a charming growth of native shrubs and trees, now alas, supplanted by imported varieties. Had the Bishop remained, it was said that there would have been one faith, one church, and one worship, for Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Maori. The Bishop’s second visit in 1843 followed a waik of nearly 600 miles across country from the Thames via Wanganui. They were detained by floods in the Upper Wanganui for five days, subsisting on fern root and snared Weka (wood hens). Assistance was gained by despatching two Maoris down the flooded river on the Bishop’s light rubber air mattress converted into a raft.

On December 3, 1843, only 90 years ago, the large church built of raupo (bulrush) and small tree trunks, was dedicated by the Bishop. In the winter of 1844 the unique church was flattened to the ground by a furious gale. The Rev. William Bolland tramped the district with the aid of a Taiaha (Chief s staff of authority) to attend the various services. Favoured by Selwyn’s spirit, though lacking his robust well-knit frame, he soon replaced the wreck with a modem church.

Untruthful and Unscrupulous.

The first indication of unfriendliness toward the Taranaki pioneer settlers by the Maoris arose in 1842. The trouble is said to have arisen among the members of a tribe who had no claim to the land in dispute; but to-day there are educated men among them who say that the sole cause of difference was the erection of two hotels in the vicinity of their homes. The protest was declared to be “mere bounce.” The magistrate and 28 special constables were called upon to quell the riot, after which “blankets and tobacco were distributed among the disaffected natives with satisfactory results!”' This was the very way to convince the Maori that his his cause was just. Mr. F. A. Carrington, on behalf of the surveyors, and Captain King of. the Aborigines Protection Society pointed out that a serious oversight had been made in the drawing for rural sections, resulting in a breach of faith between them and the natives. During the negotiations for the acquirement of the block, Mr. Carrington pencilled “Native” on a few sections near the banks of the Waitara river, and promised to reserve them. Some settlers objected, and the Company’s agent agreed with them. Messrs. Goodall and Brown had “selected” one of these sections, upon which were the Maori plantations. The Maori protest was met by a volley from the special constables who as Mr. Carrington says “Took possession in the Queen’s name of the very land I had promised to retain for them. From this breach of faith has arisen all our native war troubles in New Zealand. Later, the same competent authority wrote “In the N. Z. Gazette and in the Wellington Spectator of August 13, 1842, may be seen the untruthful statement and unscrupulous recommendation that induced the Chief Magistrate of Nelson to adopt a course which has led to such fearful consequences in this colony. Untruthful, because it stated that the demonstration had the desired effect, and had ended in the submission of the natives, whereas the effect was quite the reverse. Unscrupulous, because it recommended a course which was known to be perilous, and likely to lead to contention and bloodshed.” This to our sorrow we know it did. Maori Gratitude.

When the first missionaries attempted to translate into Maori prayer sentiments of gratitude or thanks, they were deeply concerned to learn that there were no such words to be found in the language. The Fijian word “whakawhetai” (thankful) was therefore introduced and explained to the Maori. Naturally, but I am sure wrongly, they concluded that the Maori race was devoid of all such sentiment or attribute in their nature. One remarkable incident alone should suffice to dispel the idea. In 1866, mainly owing to imperfect translation, rhe Ngatikauwhata tribe were excluded from participation in the RangitikeiManawatu purchase money of £25,006. A Scottish friend of the tribe, an accomplished Maori linguist, vainly fought their case in the courts for several years.' In despair and after exhausting all his own resources in the legal Courts of Justice, he drew world-wide attention to the wrongs of the tribe, of whom a splendid Rangatira woman, Rohe, was the chief, by shooting a horse in the mail coach which was passing through the disputed territory. As anticipated he was arrested, and sentenced to three years close confinement in Wellington gaol. Sympathisers carried the Ngatikauwhata claim to the highest court, where equity held sway, and Pohe’s tribe, of whom there were but 45 survivors, were awarded 4500 acres 1100 each). Finding that her imprisoned hero's family were in want, Pohe walked ten miles through the flax and toitoi swamps to the township then named “Rangitikei,” and arranged to transfer 800 acres of their newly legalised land to the wife. Several months later, Pohe discovered that without stock and fencing the land ; was useless to the new owner. Again she. made the ten mile' tramp, and, having successfully negotiated a mortgage on the remaining 3700 acres, quite alone she carried 1000 new sovereigns in her old flax basket across Piki kotuku (now Mount Stewart), and emptied them into the amazed lone mother’s lap. A Maori petition secured a remission of half the sentence on their benefactor. The Pakeha hero and the Maori heroine of this story of sacrifices and gratitude died only a few years ago. Pohe visited our house on many occasions, but never once referred to what she regarded as merely obvious duty.