Revd. J. Ward's Lecture

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 134, 18 May 1889, Page 2

Revd. J. Ward's Lecture

The lecture given by the Kevd. Mr Ward on Thursday night in the Wesleyau Chapel was. really an excellent one — in fact it is not too much to say it wast far and away the best we hive heard in Feilding. .Mr Ward has great descriptive power, and his word painting of the beauties of Mount Egmont and its surroundings, was most graphic. The Reminiscences of the War . were instructive and amusing. The lecturer gave a brief account of the causes which led up to the war of 1860, in a calm and dispassionate manner, all the more unexpected, because the reverend gentleman had both friends and relations who "suffered in mind, body, and estate" from the dread realities of a war which was none of their seeking. We therefore expected to hear some expressions of bitterness against the authors of the strife, but were agreeably disappointed. The anecdotes of valour, or the reverse, displayed by military men, volunteers, and militia, were alternately tragic and amusing, and he was particularly caustic on the " kitchen soldiers, who could eat better than fight." Until Mr Ward came to that part of his lecture where he gav« an account of the murder of the Revd. J. Whitely at the White Cliffs, he had spoken in an ordinary conversational tone, but when his own feelings were excited by the terrible interest of his subject, he became a changed man as it were, and exhibited a dramatic force and power, which was as startling as it was unexpected. The last picture he drew was that of the fight at the Orakau Pa, and we venture to say that no man could have depicted better that wonderful display of patriotism aud heroism by the gallant warriors who defended the pa, and whose last words, " Ake, Ake, Afce," have now ' become historical. It was observable that even, after enumerating cold- ' blooded murders and assassinations by them, Mr Ward has a warm place in his heart for the Maoris. He knows their -faults, but he also knows their many good qualities. He has a thorough contempt for those miserable wretches who have been contamiuated by contact with the whites. The Maoris of his admiration are the men of the good old days — the warriors, the orators, and the poets, the men of grim humour who could calmly, and in quite a friendly way, tell a white acquaintance how he and his young men had laid in wah to kill him, but were disappointed because the intended victim had, most perversely, gone another way. The man who allowed Dr Hope to set and mend his broken arm, and who, as soon as he was able to carry a gun. shot the unfortunate medico when he was about to pay a final visit to his patient. This liking for the Maoris we hav« observed in every man wko has had an intimate knowledge of them by close contact in peace as well as in war, and no greater tribute fduld be paid to the unfortunates who are fast disappearing from this beautiful land than the esteem of such men as the reverend gentleman whose lecture this notice refers to. Mr Q-. Grant, of Saudou, presided.