AN EXCITING LIFE HISTORY

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 50, 3 September 1881, Page 598

AN EXCITING LIFE HISTORY

The Colony Fifty Years Ago.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP REV. J. HOBBS,

AEarly Missionary Dangers — Mutiny of Convicts on Board Ship — Their Recapture — Another Daring Attempt Frustrated — Hell-Fire Jack — The Mrst Printer in Tonga — Native Wars — A Savage Kills and Quarters his Own Son — __• War over a Pig — Novel Scarcity of Coffins. " I think that history is philosophy teaching by examples." — BOLINGBROKE. After the shooting of Hongi, the natiA-es destroyed the Wesleyan Mission Station at WhangaJ?oa, and Mr Hobos and his friends were obliged '"to make the best of their way to Katikati, once a Church Mission Station. Mr Hobbs speaks Avitli much gratitude of the friendly assistance received from Mr H. T. Williams, after .yards Archdeacon Williams, and his sympathising brother missionaries during this period of trial. Fears were entertained that the natives Avould pursue the fugitives to Katikati to seek payment for Hongi's death, and it Avas determined that Mrs Clark should, be removed from that place. This task was attended with considerable danger, but Mr Hobbs took charge of a native creAA r of the Pahia scholars, paddled silently past Hongi's Point, where Borne of his people were supposed to be, and reached a place of safety. Mrs Clark is still alive • afc Waimate, but has been for many years quite helpless from paralysis. Before leaving Katikati, however, a large quantity of goods, consisting principally of hardAvare used as barter, Avas buried at night in the cemetery. Providentially Hongi's relative's refrained from further mischief. A meeting of the missionaries was held at the Bay of Islands to decide as to their future course of action, and it was decided that the Wesleyan clergymen should proceed to Sydney, the Church of , England missionaries, who were not considered to be in any serious or immediate danger, remaining behind. About this time the brig Wellington came into the Bay. On her way from Sydney to Norfolk Island with seventy prisoners the latter had mutinied, seized the captain, crew, and soldiers, and placed them in irons. The ostensible reason for putting into the Bay of Islands was to procure a supply of fresh Avater, but the real reason was to obtain a chart of America. The captain, however, succeeded in slipping a note into the hand of one of the persons Avho came from the shore informing him of the state of affairs on board. Mr Williams, aa'lio had served as a lieutenant in the navy and had distinguished himself in the operations on the coast of Spain, called a meeting of the Europeans, and ifc was agreed that an attempt should be made, with the assistance of Captain Duke, Avhose vessel, the Sisters, had arrived from Sydney before the Wellington came in, and with the aid of the Harriet, Captain Clark, to surprise the mutineers. A few shots were fired into the brig, one of them passing into the pantry, another cutting aAvay the main-mast, and then the mutineers called a parley. They Avere brought ashore, and guarded by the natives while preparations were made to ship them back to Sydney. All being in readiness, half the prisoners Avere shipped on board the Wellington, the remainder being placed in the Sisters, the Rev. J. Hobbs, Rev. Mr Turner, his wife, and Mr Stack being passengers by the latter vessel. Tapsell, Avho had sailed on the coast of South America, was mate of the Sisters, and Avas noted for his strength and daring. One day during the voyage ifc was noticed there was something unusual amongst the prisoners, Avho had been put on short rations for some act of insubordination. On this accasion they were singing a song ending with the chorus : — " And he that will not merry, merry he, Shall never taste of joy." The precise nature of the "joy" Avhich these ruffians contemplated was not long left in doubt. An examination of the hold disclosed the fact that each time the word " joy " was uttered by the united voices of the gang a large billet of firewood, which was used as a species of battering ram, was knocked with great violence against a large barrel of biscuit. Closer investigation also sheAved that the irons of 14 prisoners were so nearly filed through with an ingeniously constructed saw impro - vised from knives, as to be breakable in an instant upon a given signal, the cuts being neatly disguised With black dirt. Before, however, this little scheme could be matured the mutineers were again secured, the ringleaders, the chief of whom Avas a notorious desperado known as Hell-fire Jack, being fastened night and day to ring-bolts on the quarter-deck. Mr Hobbs appears to have endeavoured to convince this Plutonic personage of the error of his ways. Jack, however, had strong yearnings after liberty, but he protested that he had prevented the murder of the crew of the Wellington when they were in the power of his gang, by severe discipline, threatening to shoot anyone who disobeyed Ms orders. Another of the convicts remarked one day to Tapsell, " You may look out, nexfc time we get loose you will all Avalk the plank-" In reply to this amiable threat Tapsell merely remarked, " You had better look out for that yourselves." On arrival at Sydney three of the worst among the mutineers Avere summarily hanged, and the others were conveyed to Norfolk Island. While in Sydney, Mr Hobbs was married to an estimable lady to whom he had been affianced for many years, and who had recently come out with a party of missionaries. He was also a frequent guest at Government House, Avhere he met Colonel D. The Colonel was not surprised at Hongi so long surviving a wound through the lungs, seeing that he had himself received a similar wound in one of the battles during the wars with France. At this time Governor and Lady Darling were visited by an old Maori who begged a musket and bayonet. The Governor having ordered them to be presented, the old chief remarked, " You are a great chief, a very mighty gentleman, but I have given this gun to my son, and have none myself," upon which General Darling gave him another. About this time news was received from Tongatapu (then called Tonga-Taboo) that the natives had threatened to eat without salt Messrs. Thomas and Hutchinson, the resident Missionaries, and Mr Hobbs was sent to join him — not a very pleasant prospect. "At Tongafcapu," says Mr

Hobbs, " I had to learn printing. My greatest difficulty Avas in making roller-moulds, .vhich I had never seen cast before, and Johnson's Grammar of Printing did not afford much information on the subject. However, I succeeded pretty Avell, and then I Avas determined to produce books. They gave me charge of the station AA-here the printing Avas. I printed the first Gospel of St. Matthew in the Tonga language. Then I printed Avhat I would call the rough ABC of Samoan, and next a leaflet for Fiji. Mr Cargil, .vho understood Hebrew and Latin very weil, said : "I Avan't you to cast me some Greek Thetas." I said : " The Th in Fiji is liat, and lam not a type founder ; take one of our spare letters, and make j that do." In a short time I got the thing printed, ' giving C the sound of the flat Th." In consequence of the war at Tongafcapu the printing plant was removed to Yavau, and one of the pressmen who accompanied the King of Tonga in the Avar .vas killed. Mr Hobbs describes lioav the present king, then hen* apparent of Tonga, destroyed a party of the enemy, hoAV the old king, .vho knocked in the brains of an enemy Avith his musket, and how a desultory and sanguinary Avar raged between fche Christian and heathen natives, which resulted in the surrender of Leboka and the insurgent Pagans.. This chief had previously signalised his intention to prosecute the Avar to the bitter end by cutting his own son into four quarters and distributing the pieces amongst the principal rebel fortresses. After a considerable sojourn at Tonga Mr Hobbs returned to Hokianga, AA-here he resumed his labours. By the unwearied teachings and exhortations of the missionaries the natives were induced to abandon polygamy, to emancipate their shives, and become professing Christians. They Avere also taught many useful arts, to read and write, to gain some knowledge in mensuration and the measurement of timber. Soon after his return, hoAvever, a terrible native war broke out, originating in a mere quarrel over the OAvnership of a pig. A chief, avlio called himself King George, was one of the leaders in a Avar against MatiAvai. The Hokianga natives knocked out the teeth of their enemies and drove them into the trees on the sides of the road as marks of the degradation of tlieir foes. King George Avas killed, and according to the peculiar oustom of the natives his relatives threatened to revenge his death by killing Mrs Hobbs. She Avas conveyed by her husband, in the night, at the imminent risk of their lives, to Pahia, Avhere she was confined of a daughter, now the Avife of the Rev. Kirk. Amongst other incidents of these exciting times Mr Hobbs describes the difficulties encountered by the missionaries and their heroic wives in protecting the native Avomen from the vicious inliuencc of the creAvs of .vhalers, which sometimes numbered as many as twenty or thirty vessels in the Bay afc one time. When Captain Hobson came over to Mangungu (Hokianga) to obtain the signatures of the Rarawa tribes to the Treaty of Waitangi, Mr Hobbs officiated as interpreter. Another good story is told by the old gentleman of a singular difficulty which he had to overcome. The Avife of a European died suddenly. Tbe man Avas so unpopular that none Avould even make him a coffin. Mr Hobbs, hoAvever, remembered that there was a solitary .vhite man living a long distance aAvay on one of the rivers avlio might be induced to give up a coffin Avhich he had in readiness for his own death, and, taking a boat, he pulled many Aveary miles, struck a bargain, and returned in triumph to the relief of the distressed Avidower, avlio was thus enabled to bury the remains of his Avife in a decent Christian style. Mr Hobbs concludes the narrative of his extraordinary life as folloAvs :— " I believe that many of the natives .vere sincere, ancl died in hopes of a glorious immortality, though I fear tliat not so many of them .vere brought to Christ as I could have Avished. Still, we can look back and say that our labour has not been in vain. If I still had strength to run a boat I Avould continue to labour in the vineyard. Twenty years ago, .vhen I was sixty years of age, 1 could still build ancl sail my own boat, make the ropes and sails and all that was required, but my friends used to remonstrate Avith me, and I Avas obliged to leave the Avork to someone younger. We must all grow Aveak some day, but I thank God if, by my humble efforts, I have clone something in His great cause."