THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON WILLIAMS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2551, 30 July 1867, Page 5

THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON WILLIAMS.

The Southern Gross gives the following obituary notice of the Rev. Archdeacon Williams, whose death we announced in our lasl issue :— "Henry Williams, late Archdeacon oi Paihia, was originally an officer in hei Majesty's service and occupied the post oi lieutenant on board the Thames. Like hie brother- sailor Nobbs, who, with a solitary ■companion, sailed from South America across the Pacific to search for and labor amongst the inhabitants of Pitcairn's Island, he devoted his life to the cannibal barbarians of New Zealand. Other missionaries had been before him ; but, from his titne, the mission assumed the aspect of a consolidated and steadily advancing work. His skill in navi- • cation, his coolness, and his courage, enabled him to visit in his. boat all parts of the island. Wherever a war was, there he was found in the midst of the hostile parties allaying their resentments and promoting peace. The natives could not comprehend Christianity, but they felt that there must be something noble in those influences that could impel those men to undertake such hardships for their good. The name of missionary soon became the most honored in tho land, and deputations were sent up from all parts to Paihia to beg for one 01 these teachers. This point, liowever, was not reached without great struggles ; and the little bark seemed. 1 often on the point of foundering amid the angry elements : neither were their troubles of one kind. At one time an attempt would be made to starve them into a consent to barter powder and guns for food ; at another time the victors, in some local conflict would rush upon the mission- station, and sweep oif their goods as spoil ; and at another time some imaginary affront would bring down a band of naked savages upon the unsuspecting settlement. To protect themselves in some way, and to keep a body of disciples around them, the missionaries used to encourage the well-dis-posed to live in the settlement, and these people assumed the appellation of " whare Icura" (school house). These men were most nseful and faithful, and manfully withstood •their own relatives when they made a descent for plunder. On one occasion, the missionary in the middle of his sermon on the Sunday had to throw off his surplice and sally forth with his congregation to rescue his goods, which were being swept away by a " taua" (hostile band). Many and amusing were the scenes which on these occasions occurred. Tohitapu, a naked savage, bedaubed with red ochre* encountered Henry Williams in the attack justreferred to. Henry was then inthe vigor of manhood, and possessed — what in those days was of the utmost value to a mis--sionary-r-greatphysical power. Tohi's object, was to carry off his spoil ; Henry's to eject him froih the enclosure witliout hurt or any sign of blood—the sure signal of a deadly •assault. It was, therefore, a case of wrestling and dragging ; and the endurance and power of the European prevailed. On another occasion a native had made iis way into the missionary's bedroom, •and was hastening away with a blanket, when his wife— Mrs Hamlin— -coming in by another door, espied him. She •rushed after him,, caught him by his long hair, shut to the door — herself at one side, the native, at the other — and held him there until her husband, also a very powerful man, came and ejected him by the same process. These were their athletic, triumphs. Instances of the reverse, however, are not few, and we could tell of the missionary's teeth •being knocked in with a blow of the fist, for having rashly walked across a wahi tapu (sacred place) ; of another tripped up and -laid on the flat of his back; and of a third whose goods that he had produced for barter -—•for food only could be obtained by barter in those days — taken away by violence, and he left alone with his energetic remonstrances. Redress was out of the question ; the only resource left being to put the transgressor into Coventry ; and latterly the -shaking hands with all the rest of a company of Maories and not noticing an offender, or, with a smile, chiding him in English, was too much for a Maori to stand, and very -often a large present was offered as a gift of ..peace. Tantse molis erat Bomanam condere gentem. It was rough work, and the men were equal to it. The spirit of a hero was eminently in Henry Williams. He laughed at dangers, •and despised hardships. It was nothing to him to wander for three months at a time in his boat, on expeditions with those wild men, till at last " j__aru wha " (four eyes), the name given becduse of his spectacles, was known in every part of the island. As might be expected from his previous life, he was not a scholar, and troubled himself little with books. Before the advent, also, of the settler, his light paled. Into the •controversies of those early days it is not now the fife time to enter. That same dogged independent spirit reigned conspicuously throughout ; and there are few now who will not admit that, if he brought down on him■self the ill opinion of the colonists, it was because of the strongruling love for the race for whom he bad done and suffered so much. He entered the service of his Majesty, 10th May, 1815, as midshipman, and was discharged on 29th August, 1815, promoted to the rank of lieutenant, half-pay list. Entered 30th August, 1815, and was removed -from the list of lieutenants in 1817, in consequence of his having entered into holy orders. "Was engaged by the Church Missionary Society in 1822, at the age of 30 ; ordained June 22nd by the Bishop of London. He arrived with Mrs Williams in New South Wales early in 1823, and sailed from Sydney for New Zealand on board the Brampton, in -company with the venerated Samuel Marsden, on the 21st July, 1823. Arrived at the Bay of Islandaiand dropped anchor on the 2nd August, 1823. He departed this life in peace on the 16th July, 1867, at tho ripe age of seventy-five years. So deep was the respect in which he was held hy the natives that the contending hapus at Waimate agreed to suspend hostilities until after, the burial of the venerable missionary whose life, had been spent in preaching to them the blessed gospel of peace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.