AN EXCITING LIFE HISTORY

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 49, 20 August 1881, Page 566

AN EXCITING LIFE HISTORY

The Colony Fifty Years Ago.

Strange Adventures

Early Struggles— The Pioneers of Civilization — A Youthful Evangelist — Van Dieman's Land and jbotany Bay as Convict Settlements — Massacre of the Boyd — A Maori Amazon ■ — The " Fish-Smeller" and the Man-Eater — The Cannibal Feast — Refined Revenge — The Projrfietess — Hongi and the Horse-Pistol — The Missionaries' skins.

" The missionary is the x>ioneer of civilization."

The Rev. John Hobbs, whose portrait appeared in the last number of the Observek, and who was lately interviewed by a representative of this journal, is one of the oldest surviving Christian missionaries. He must be classed amongst the foremost and most honoured of the apostles of Christ in New Zealand. He was a contemporary and fellow-worker in the harvest-field with the venerable Samuel Marsden, Bishop Williams, and many others whose names, heroic self -sacrifice, evangelistic zeal, noble aspirations, and unflinching courage and devotion to the Master's cause are inscribed in letters of gold on the records of modern missionary enterprise. The subject of this biography had already laboured for years in the harvest-field before systematic colonization began in the Australian Colonies, when Botany Bay was a convict station, and before the first Legislative Council sat in Sydney ; when New Zealand was governed from New South Wales ; before the Treaty of Waitangi, and long before the New Zealand Land Company commenced its scheme of colonization. He had braved the hardships and dangers of missionary labour in New Zealand when yet cannibalism was generally prevalent among the tribes, when war and rapine were the favourite pastime of the race, and when it was sunk in barbarism and superstition. In those early days the missionary went forth with his life in his hands. His existence was one of continual toil, hardship, and privation. He was often destitute of the bare necessaries of life. He lived in the midst of savages, far away from the comforts and surroundings of civilization, cut off from country and kindred, he Avas the unwilling witness of daily scenes of murder, bloodshed, cannibalism, and heathen barbarity, his path was beset by a jungle of prejudice, ignorance, and superstition through Avhich he must hew his way as one battles with the primeval forest; disappointments and obstacles obstructed him on every side ; he laboured in an obscure and remote field, far aAvay from the sight of the .great world and its stimulating applause and sympathy, nay, he was often hindered and maligned by his own countrymen — the rude adventurers of those days Avhose A'ices, violence, and greed he tried to restrain ; he had nothing but his own consciousness of a good cause, and his reliance in a beneficent over-ruling Providence to sustain his steps and cheer his heart. ■Judge as we will of missionary effort in New Zealand, we cannot deny that the early evangelists exhibited a noble zeal and heroic selfsacrifice, and that they rendered good service to the cause of civilization as the pioneers of •colonization. With the subject of this biography to labour in the mission field was the aspiration of early youth. He was born in the year ISOO, in St. Peter's, Tlianet, Kent. He had the advantage ■of a moderately good education, and of careful moral training. As a youth he displayed remarkable aptitude for the mechanical and scientific arts, and Avas very skilful in the construction of various practical appliances. To ' these accomplishments he owed much of his usefulness as a missionary in after years. He constructed astronomical instruments and other implements of civilization, built, furnished, and naA'igated his own boats, mastered the art of printing, and taught the natives many useful employments. At the age of twenty-tAvo he was animated l>y a strong desire to devote his life and talents to the cause of Christianity, and like many others avlio were filled with the same noble aspiration, he selected the foreign mission field as the sphere of his labours. In 1822 he came out to Van Dieman's Land in the hope of finding employment as a local preacher and instructor at one of the convict settlements. •"I hoped," he said to our representative, "that I might devote my poor talents for the benefit of my fellow creatures." He landed at Hobart Town, which was then in a very primitive •state. There he found two clergymen, a Roman Catholic priest, and an Episcopalian. The aboriginal natives roamed about the ■settlements in a state of nudity, and c\ r en Avhen provided with decent clothing soon returned to their natural condition. He was engaged to assist the Rev. Nathaniel Turner at one of the out stations, or penitentiaries, and soon afterwards accompanied him on a visit to Sydney, where a district meeting of the Wesleyan body Avas being held. Attracting the favourable notice of the leaders by his apparent fitness for the mission field, he underwent a successful examination in theology, and Avas invited to preach to a congregation in a little chapel in Princes-street, Avhicli had been built by a Sergeant Scott. Having acquitted himself to the satisfaction of his hearers, he Avas recommended for the New Zealand Mission service to the Wesleyan Committee at Hatton's Gardens. He had the good fortune in Sydney to make the acquaintance of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, the pioneer apostle of Christianity in the South Pacific, and to gain his high esteem and lifelong friendship. Mr Marsdon Avas so impressed Avith the young man's zeal and devotion that he desired to secure his services for the Church of England, and ottered to take him under his care, but Mr Hobbs' career Avas otherwise ordered. He also became acquainted Avith Mr Erskine and Dr Cook, avlio had called at Sydney on their Avay to India for the benefit of their health, with the Rev. R. Maunsell, Mr Lee, and Mr Horton. Mr Hobbs sailed for New Zealand from Sydney in the Brampton, on the 3rd August, with the itev. N. Turner, and the Rev, S. Marsden, who came to New Zealand to bring over the Rev. H. Williams.

They reached the Bay of Islands in safety, but the captain, a man of headstrong avj.ll, disregarding the Avarnings of those avlio knew the place, ran the ship out in a N.E. gale, and Avrecked her on Avhat is noAV called the Brampton Reef, after the name of the vessel. At this time the natives Avere all aAyay at Avar against the Southern tribes inhabiting the distnets near Auckland, and Mr Hobbs was horrified by the stories of massacre and cannibalism told by Mr Shepherd, who had already lived three or four years at the Bay of Islands. When Hongi s war party returned from their expedition just before the arrival of the Brampton, they landed at Old, the original name of the beach, close to where Messrs. Hall and King lived, on the top of a high hill, called Rangioha. The natives brought back a number of slaves, and Hongi s sister chopped off the heads of many of the Avomen across the side of a canoe, in revenge for the death of her husband. Mr Hobbs accompanied Mr Turner overland to Whangaroa, the Rev. S. Marsden going round by sea m a small vessel. A piece of laud of about 50 acres Avas purchased from the owners as a site for a Wesleyan Mission Station, and the Avork of converting the natives was begun in earnest. Hongi -Ika (" The Fish-smeller ") regarded these missionaries as his "pakehas," and warned the natives " not to touch their skins," the native expression being " Aav.i c pa ki o ratou hiako." This, however, left the natives at liberty to rob and pilfer from the missionaries Avhenever they had a chance, and they were not sloav to avail themselves of any opportunity that presented itself. Mr Lee, avlio had been at Wangaroa for some three months, returned with Mr Marsden to Sydney, but Mr Hobbs remained there Avith Mr Turner for three years and a half. During that time they saAv many remnants of the ill-fated ship Boyd, the captain

and creAV of which AA r ere massacred in Whangaroa, in 1809. The vessel called in on her A r oyage home from Sydney. The motiA'e for that atrocity has hitherto been attributed to the fact that the natives desired to avenge the flogging of a chief named George by the captain for some petty theft, but the true motive Avas plunder. This George is described by Mr Hobbs as a turbulent rascal, much addicted to thieving and other vices. Frequently, he threatened to kill the missionaries, and ultimately the station AA'as destroyed by Hongi's camp followers, a class of vultures like the Avretches avlio prey on European battle fields. The natives used to plan various schemes for blackmailing the missionaries. One favourite move Avas to alarm them Avith stories of intended attacks, and to extort gifts on pretence of protection. Being as yet in ignorance of the language, the Europeans were easily imposed upon and used to conceal themselves in the bush to escape death, Avhile the natives pilfered anything they could lay hands on. These depredations they of course set doAvn to the supposed enemy. On one occasion, Avhen the natives brought one of the anchors of the Boyd ashore in a canoe, they said to the missionaries, " We Avill serve you as Aye did the other white men. " On another occasion the chief George set fire to the thatch which covered the roof of the log hut that served as the mission house, but the flames were extinguished before much damage Avas done. By degrees Mr Hobbs acquired a knowledge of the Maori language, and conducted all the communications Avitli the natiA r es. There Avas a third European named Stack at Whangaroa, attached to the mission station, and being of small stature and Aveak, albeit plucky and energetic, he Avas playfully dubbed " Mars." He had been on board Captain King's vessel on the coast of Western Australia for a long time.

Not having passed the necessary examination in theology he occupied a subordinate position in the mission, but afterwards published a very interesting journal narrating Jiis experiences. His three sons are now Church of England clergymen. The missionaries at Whangaroa were iv great peril at another time when the chief George died from some internal disease. The natives held a great tangi over the remains, and it was believed that his relatives would attribute the cause ot his death to witchcraft used by the missionaries, and revenge it by killing them. " The abomination of barbarism" says Air Hobbs, "were very terrible in those days, but thank God I never repented for one moment that I bad come to New Zealand. I had the utmost confidence in the superintending care of Providence, and I never regretted the ta«k I had chosen to fulfil from the first hour to the last." The danger passed away, but the mission station was robbed by natives who came from a distance to attend the tangi. Fresh troubles arose when a quarrel ensued through the seduction of one of Hongi's wives by a ciiief who was related to him. The injured polygamist collected a fleet of well-armed canoes, pulled into Whangaroa harbour before the objects of his intended attack had been apprised of his movements, and sent a message to an old chief named Kaitangata (Man-eater), living on the top_ of a lofty rock called Whanguru, only accessible on one side Avitii these words — "You had better come down ; I want to occupy that rock ; it is the place of my ancestors." ' The reply was — " If my brains are to be shaken as in a basin, they shall be scattered on the stones of Whanguru." Hongi and his warriors scaled the rock next morning, butchered its defenders, and feasted on their bodies for a week. Old Man-eater shared the fate of many of his former victims.

As a signal mark of degradation, his breastbone — the tit-bit of Maori gourmands — was picked by one of Hongi's meanest slaves. Having thus recruited his army, Hongi moved with them towards another fortress called Taratara, a rocky citadel somewhat less formidable than the former. One of Hongi's old wives, a blind woman named Tutikatuki (a 2ierfect Amazon, but who with the infirmity of advancing years had found solace in prophecy for her husband's preference for younger ladies), was inspired by the oracle, and, addressing Hongi, exclaimed, ' ' You were victorious at other places, but I tell you that you will fail to-morrow ;" whereupon Hongi was infuriated, and, repeatedly pronouncing the words " slave," exclaimed, "Do you think I am to be discouraged by you ! If a hundred men stood in my path now, I would mow them down." Next morning, when Hongi went to storm the pa, he discovered that the garrison had evacuated it (just as the Maoris used to do when they were about te be attacked by British troops). Probably the old prophetess (tohunga) took care to verify her own prediction by going in the night and warning the enemy of their danger, seeing that it was known that amongst them were some of her relatives. But Hongi's own end was nigh. He followed fast in pursuit of the fugitives, little suspecting that a man named Maritea had concealed himself, armed with an old horse-pistol, beside the path. The Fish-smeller was proceeding along in anticipation of another supply of fresh meat, when suddenly — bang ! — a puff of smoke from the ancient pistol — and he fell, fatally wounded by a ball that penetrated his breast and passed out between the shoulder-blade and back-bone. Cunning old Maritea called out, "What are the three hundred about that they are not here before this ? Tell them to come up quickly !"

Whereupon Hongi, who was a match for him in such rtises de guerre, endeavoured to reanimate the courage of his followers, which, like that of the immortal Bob Acres when challenged by Captain Absolute, was oozing out at their fingers' ends, by shouting "Irs all gammon." But, dismayed by the fall of their leader, they did not pursue the enemy, and the crafty Maritea escaped with a whole skin. Hongi was carried to a volcanic hill called Ohautoro, at the mouth of Whangaroa harbour, and lingered with most extraordinary tenacity of life for a year, dying at length from hemorrhage and exhaustion. To his credit be it said that, with all his barbarity, he wn • the firm protector of the missionaries. It was not until some years after his arrival at Whang. iroa that Mr Hobbs knew lioav much he owed his safety to that chief. When a frightful uproar occurred one day at the Mission gate, and old Te Puhi saw that the Europeans were alarmed, he remarked, "Hongi has said 'Don't touch their skins,' " which implied that he had taken the missionaries under his protection. (To be continued.)