THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Tablet, 12 August 1909, Page 1253

THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

MEMOIRS OF THE EARLY DAYS

(Contributed.) Writings of the Early Missionaries (continued). But to return to our Kauaoerea. I was greatly pleased with the pretty little chapel which the Maoris have built, and with the liberality of their subscriptions towards its i decorations every year. Thus it is that they have procured chalice, ciborium, and monstrance all in silver, handsome candlesticks for the altar, two statues, a bell, and even a harmonium. Our priests have a good house, a school, and a corn mill, which is a great resource to the station and the neophytes. The cultivation of the vine is also likely to become a means of support for the mission. The captain of . the steamer which had brought me to Wanganui had with difficulty given me three days for my journey, so that, however reluctantly, I was obliged to bid adieu to my friends ' next day, the first day of the present year. In less than twelve hours we were back at Wanganui. While calm . and peace reigned along the upper part of the river, a terrible north-east wind prevailed at Wanganui, blowing in a Avay known only in New Zealand, the land of violent storms. Great uneasiness was felt by -'tho inhabitants, for the Wonga-Wonga had left for Taranaki, having on board a company of the 65th Regiment, with the women and children. It was quite evident that with such a wind blowing it was impossible for the vessel to reacu Taranaki and land the passengers in safety. Ten days, this state of anxiety lasted, the delay naturally causing it to increase from day to day. At last the Wonga-Wonga reappeared, having been obliged on two different occasions to fly before the wind and take shelter behind the island of Kapiti, and also to repair to" Nelson to take in provisions. ' In a word, a passage of eighteen hours had occupied eight or nine days of suffering for some and agony for others. How much I regretted having left Kauaoerea so soon ! During my stay at Wanganui, I had more than one opportunity of coming in contact with and appreciating the English soldiers. I was delighted £o see the Catholics amongst them coming to the church unarmed, under the command of an officer, taking their place with the rest of the congregation, and reading their prayers with attention. What an advantage they enjoy, thus praying and hearing the word of God, and learning to vanquish human respect! They 'likewise come in great numbers to Vespers^ During the week they are often to be seen praying in the church; and what pleased me most of all, every Sunday very many of them approached the Holy Table in presence of the whole congregation. Certainly in "New Zealand the soldier does not hate the priest, nor the priest dread the soldier; a kind of family feeling exists between them. Before the departure of the two companies, Father Pezant publicly expressed his gratitude to the good soldiers, whose constant and generous assistance had been so useful to him in bringing his great enterprise to a happy termination. Neither did he forget to wish them from his heart every happiness, and to ask his parishioners to remember them in their prayers. I was ■ quite touched by their visit to the priest, in which tears

weie not unfrequently mingled with their simple farewells, and good advice given with charity and received with gratitude. And when they were on the point of leaving, the priest, who had been present at the farewell dinner, went down to the place of embarkation, to shake hands for the last time with each of the soldiers, who called him their Father, and with good reason, for he loved them .tenderly. The scene so pleased and affected me that I could not, dear Father, refrain from telling it to you. I could not leave until January 14; for the Wonga"Wonga returned to Taranaki, with another company of the same regiment. This time the passage was short and agreeable. On the morning of January 15 I found my dear Father Tresallet waiting for me on the shore. Alas I we had to make good use of our time, for we had only a few' hoars at our disposal. The captain, tired of the delays caused by the bad weather, wished to leave the same evening for Wellington. Taranaki affords but indifferent anchorage; the situation of the town is, however, agreeable, and the view very beautiful over land and sea. A little to the south the Sugar-Loaf is to be seen, a rock rising 4Ooft right out of the sea, surrounded by other rocks of lesser dimensions. Then you have directly before your eyes the old Taranaki (Mount Egmont), which, rising out of the plain, rears, 8000 ft high, its noble head, perpetually white with snow and frequently covered with clouds. I have been told that in no part of New Zealand is the climate so agreeable as at Taranaki, and that the soil of the province is very fertile. So soon as Father Tresallet found himself free from the continual journeys and. anxieties caused by the war carried on by the Government against the Maoris — a war, during the course of which our dear fellow-laborer never spared himself, and had the satisfaction of seeing his zeal crowned with marked success — le turned his energy and activity to the task of establishing a Catholic station in this little town. There were considerable difficulties in the way, for we had arrived too late ,and every spot seemed pre-engaged. St. Joseph, to whose care it is confided, has come to our assistance, and obtained for us a large and well-situated plot of ground. A very pretty little building has just been erected on it, which by and bye will make a nice priests' house, but at present serves as a neat little chapel. I congratulated him cordially on his success, which certainly has not been obtained without trouble and difficulty of all kinds. Like Father Pezant at Wanganui, he has been generously seconded by the Catholic soldiers. Indeed, I may say his congregation is composed nearly altogether of military men; for the settlement, formed principally of English, people properly so-called, had very few Catholic inhabitants, and even out of the number several had to fly on account of the war. The Catholic part of the garrison is very numerous, and gives a good deal of occupation to the Father. Taranaki 'has been the theatre of the recent and unfortunate war of the Maoris against the Government. I must say a few words upon this subject, and in order to explain the origin of the troubles I must go back some length of time. In the beginning, a certain number of English subjects came to settle in New Zealand, and then companies were formed for the purpose of founding different settlements in the most eligible situations. But I have been told, and have also read, that this enterprise was not very agreeable to the English Government. Circumstances, however, obliged them to add this new colony to the many already possessed. It was not the intention to allow New Zealand to be the scene of such horrors as had been committed in other English colonies on the Natives. Here, moreover, was felt the presence of a homogeneous, intelligent, warlike, and numerous race. The rising of 1845 and the burning of Kororareka soon proved that the Maoris were not to be despised, and, accordingly, they were treated with consideration and respectr ■ The Colonial Government had decreed that they alone should have the right to purchase land from the Maoris, which they could afterwards sell by auction to the colonists, or dispose of on certain conditions; but they would noc consider legal such purchases sis were made directly with the Natives*or without their participation. This was a prudent measure, calculated to obviate many causes of trouble, and to prevent disputes and injustice. The pity is that it was not done from the very beginning, for the first settlers took gross advantage of the ignorance of the Maoris. A colony requires land, and even very extensive tracts, the more so as the great speculation being the rearing of cattle, vast ranges are wanted for the flocks and herds, situated, -too, at a sufficient distance from the lands properly speaking devoted to agriculture. According as the colonists increased in number, and their establishments and stations were extended, the need of new possessions became a pressing want. Besides, it became necessary to open up roads for the convenience of travellers and the safe transport of merchandise. Naturally, the aim of the settlers was to per-

suade the Natives that it was their direct advantage to give up their lands. The latter, who are children, but very formidable ones, understood little at first what was meant by alienating their property for ever, a thing, moreover, quite contrary to their customs, and sold their possessions easily enough. But at last they perceived that their lands were disappearing little by little, that the strangers were considerably increasing in the country, and that in the end they would be absorbed into the foreign population and rapidly lose all influence. The chiefs wished to take measures to prevent this misfortune, and in 1857 the tribes of Waikato held a great assembly. They resolved to try and unite all the Maori tribes in federation, and for this purpose decided on establishing a national sovereignty in presence of the authority of the Queen. A king was^electei^ declaration being made that all the lands of the* Maoris belonged to him, and that they could not be alienated without his consent.

(To be continued.)