AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14278, 19 August 1910, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

THE WHITE INVASION. The subject of the early pioneering days is one tliat Jkim a suoug appeal to all New Zealanders, ami when an audience can listen in a lecturer with intelligent grasp of such a theme it takes a good deal to distract their attention. Li Wesley Hall last evening the Rev. W. J. Williams of Oamaru proved that beside.-, having an intimate knowledge of these strenuous tunes, he lias also tlie power ol painting Justorical episodes in a line descriptive style. His opening remarks at once, centred general interest on bis address. We live m the most interesting country under tlie sun, he said, not tlie largest, not the wealthiest, but certainly to us the most interesting. What made Nov Zealand interesting ? Not the lofty mountains, not the beautiful lakes, not the magnificent natural resources. The iteresting thing about New Zealand comes to the people that live in it. Mr Williams, in continuing, said that lie would try to tell the story of how this New Zealand of ours came to be peopled by a white-skinned race. They had all heard the cry for a white New Zealand, but it ought to be of interest to remember that there was a t'.mo in this country when never a white face was turned towards the stars and that once New Zealand was the happy hunting ground of the original team of All Blacks. Tho story of the great white invasion was full of thrilling incident, and though he was not capable of telling it as it sJiould be told perhaps his remarks would induce some of the audience to make a study of nationbuilding that would be instructive and attractive to them. It was a story closely associated with three ships. There was the .ship of the explorer, the ship of the missionary and the ship of the coloniser. In 1042, the looktint on a Dutch vessel cried "Land .Oil." Abel Tiisniiin had discovered New Zealand, and the first white face on which the light fell in the retrospective history of the country was on the face of this brave Dutch navigator. But brave as he was, he was not brave enough to effect a landing in New Zealand. Nearly a hundred years passed before the next white face appeared, perhaps some did come in between, but thev were iu the shadow. The light became clear again on October Bth, 1769, on the face of Captain Jas. Cook, a man worthy of all honour in the annals of British history. Thereafter events followed in quick succession, though the outlying islands were first settled before the white would venture among the Maoris, savage, treacherous and cruel. The lecturer then proceeded to deal with the sealing industry, which was profitably engaged in by hundreds between 1803 and 1830, aud which had its headquarters in Dusky Bay, and also with the whaling industry which had the Bay of Islands as its centre. The arrival of the Rev. Win. Marsden, the first missionary on December 2nd, 1814. was picturesquely detailed, and the address concluded alter an excellent description of the doings of the stout-hearted p'oneers. the colonisers who made New Zealand the fair land it is to-day. Several persons present commented in

appreciative tenia on the splendid lecture they had heard, and the Rev. \V. Baumber, chairman, also paid a tribute to the abilities of Mr Williams.