Untitled

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 45, 12 November 1924, Page 17

disinterestedly, must acknowledge they had no share in bringing about this change of character (having reference to . the courage and enterprise of the commanders of the whalers, who, from twenty years before, had worked : the rapid change in these once bloody-minded savages, and to whom, and not to the Missionaries, the writer attributed the influence for the better which was being reflected in the,every day life of the natives); but on the contrary they have done all that in them lay to injure the reputation of the whaler in the. estimation of . the’ natives. Hitherto they have not succeeded, their want, of kindness and hospitality to their own countrymen raises a strong dislike to them, in the minds of these unsophisticated people.; According to their simple notions of right and wrong, they think the want of hospitality an unpardonable offence, and that the counsel or advice of a man who shuts his . door against his neighbor is not worthy ,of being .attended to.” ■ ■■ i'.'i-j: ; . ‘T will give the • reader one" more anecdote of these men, who are sent out to set an example of the Christian Faith to the unenlightened heathens. A few weeks since, the festival. of Christmas took place,and Englishmen, in whatever part of, the world they happen to he,' make a point of assembling together on that : day, our recollections then , being . associated-, with ‘ home ’ to , spend, the day. in mutual .• congratulations. and wishes - for -happiness. V For some , time previous to its arrival, ; the captains of ‘ two whalers -and myself had been deliberating where we should spend , the social day; : and ;it vyas finally settled that we should cross' the bay (at Kororareka, Bay of Islands) to To Puna, a beautiful and romantic spot, the residence of an ; , indigent, native • "chief, ■ and; an Englishmans,' ; named Hanson. Near,this was a church missionary establishment; and at this Englishman’s house w© determined we I would

but, as our boats approached the shore, they walked away to their own dwellings, closed their gates and doors after them, and gazed at us through their windows; and during three days that we passed in a hut quite near them, they never' exchanged one word with any of the party. Thus foiled in our hope of spending a social day with our compatriots, after our dinner was over, we spent the remainder of the day surrounded by generous savages, who were delighted with our company, and . who did everything in their power to make us comfortable. In the course of the afternoon two of the missionaries came to preach; but the savages were so angry with them for not showing more kindness to their own countrymen that, none would listen to them.’’, “I, have visited many Roman Catholic Missionary establishments; their priests adopt quite a . different lino of conduct: they are cheerful and kind to the savage pagan, and polite and attentive to their European brethren; they have gained the esteem ,of those they have been sent to convert; they have introduced their own language amongst them, which enables them to have intercourse with strangers,; and, however we may differ in some tenets of w religions belief we must aokrtowledge the success of their mission. They have brought nearly the whole of the Indian population of South America into the bosom of their Church; and their converts are the greater part of the people. Notwithstanding the numerous Church and sectarian missionaries sent from England, I have never met with Indians converted by them. I have attended Mass in an Indian village, -a : native priest performed the ceremony, and the whole congregation; (except myself) were of .his cast and complexion arid,- it is ; worthy’ of remark, .that : in Peru and some of the most populous provinces, , a pagan, is scarcely to be found.” . , •/O' , .