LECTURE ON NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 179, 17 June 1864, Page 2

LECTURE ON NEW ZEALAND.

[We copy the following from the Preston Guardian , as showing the manner in which New Zealand matters are represented, or rather misrepresented, by men [ in the missionary interest to the people at home. We need hardly say the lecturer is the same Mr. Gorst who had his printing office destroyed in the Waikato, and who had himself to flee for his life from that district.] J. A. Gorst, Esq., M.A., son of the late E. C. Lowndes, Esq., of this town, delivered, on Friday evening last, an interesting discourse on New Zealand, in the upper room of Bow-lane School, under the auspices of Christ Church Mutual Improvement Society. There was a large and respectable audience, who frequently applauded the lecturer during the delivery of his discourse. The chair was taken by the Rev. T. Clark, incumbent of Christ Church, and he, in introducing the lecturer, stated that Mr. Gorst had just returned from New Zealand, after a sojourn in that colony for four years. He was well known to all present, inasmuch as he was connected with the congregation of Christ Church, and was associated with their schools before he left England. He promised before he went to New Zealand that when he returned he would deliver a lecture to them upon that colony, and he was that night about to fulfil his promise. The Lecxurek commenced by saying that he had no idea that he should have had such an audience as that he saw before him. Ho had intended to make a few remarks upon New Zealand to the members of Christ Church Mutual Improvement Society, but lie was afraid that as ho had not prepared his discourse, and as it was a somewhat lengthy subject, and, further, that he had never lectured before, they would have to boar with him during the evening. He would in the first place, tell them where New Zealand was. It was nearly at the opposite side of the world to England. The place where it was directly opposite to was some little distance off the coast of Spain. The shortest distance between Australia and New Zealand was 1,000 miles, and it took a good steamship about six days to make the voyage between the two colonies. He told them this w-ith regard to the distinction between Australia and New Zealand because many people thought they were both one place. New Zealand consisted of two islands—one called the Northern Island, and the other Middle Island. There was another island not very for off those two, which was called the Southern Island. It was a very small and insignificant one, and one of which many people heard nothing at all about. The island he would confine his remarks to was the Northern Island. It was remarkable at present for containing the population with whom England was at war. The natives were called Maories. It was necessary in a subject like that upon which he was speaking to cquflne his remarks to one point in particular, and with that view he would bring before his audience the history of our quarrel with the natives of New Zealand. That was a matter in which the honour of England and its credit as a Christian nation was much involved. In that particular, New Zealand was almost unique as one of the .English colonies, ft was different to any other colony in which English people had established themselves. The natives of New Zealand were a very singular people, and were few in number. A number of English stations were scattered all over the coast. As New Zealand was neared by vessels on the sea it was pleasant to look at ; but, as soon as an emigrant got ashore the delusion disappeared immediately. The streets of the towns were not paved ; there were no causeways made ; and if pedestrians were not careful, they would be knocked down very probably by bullocks, which were used as beasts of burden. The people travelled in vans which were something like the English omnibuses without tops, and were drawn by very strong horses. Drinking was bad enough in England, but the quantity of rum consumed in New Zealand was most awful. He had known many young men who had left home for the colonies with money and good prospects, who had been entirely ruined through drink when they got there. Ho had travelled 200 miles at one journey without meeting with a sober man. Any person who went out there, who was a good man, and not a slave to the bottle, would be horrified when he got there to see the drunkenness which prevails. His audience might perhaps ask— What right have the English there ? The first people who went there from England were navigators. Captain Cook was the first, and after that many whalers went there. The whalers went there because they could get many kinds of food from the natives in exchange for knives which they took on board their vessels. The whalers too could speak English, but many of the natives could not. Many of the whalers had double .barrelled guns in their possession, and also gunpowder, which articles assisted the natives very much in their wars. The natives had many disputes amongst themselves as to who should have those men, and he had known of

many a war between them on that account, one tribe of the natives claiming to have the men with them, and others denying them of the right and claiming the precedence. At one time New Zealand had a very bad name in England, owing chiellly to the cannibalism which was carried on by the natives. Mr. Marsdon, missionary, was sent to the natives from England, but he was amongst them or a long time before he met with any succees. Mr. Mursden and the other missionaries who were with him were well received, and none of them were ever killed or hurt. They were also good friends with the natives. When the missionaries had been there about ten or twelve years some of the natives began to embrace Christianity. Many of the natives at one time believed in witchcraft and in devils, but they wore not as difficult to convert as the people of some countries such as the Indians and Chinese, who had some form of religion or other before the missionaries went amongst them. He believed that a regular professed heathen was nowhere now to be met with in New Zealand; an heathen would now be as difficult to find iu New Zealand as a Druid in England. Soon after the missionaries went there many people went to trade with the natives, and established themselves on the coast. At last the British Government were persuaded to take the colony. The French and Americans wore after it, and France, America, and England had a run for it, but the English steamer got there a few hours before the French steamer, and, therefore, the English Government at once took possession. About 1840, we determined to take the colony of New Zealand, in the name of the Queen of fcngland. The question then arose—What were we to do with the natives? They were an agricultural people. They could not get their living by hunting, for there was nothing in the colony to hunt. The only thing the natives ate before the English went there were rats and dogs, and he had been told they were very good. (Laughter). They were not such rats as we have in England ; they Jwere something like the English hares. The dogs were very woolly, and not unlike English sheep. With the English that went to New Zealand went the English dog and rat, and these two kinds of English animals have entirely exterminated the native dog and rat, and nothin" of them was anywhere now to bo found. The natives were, therefore, compelled to become agriculturists, and obtain their subsistence by fruits of the land. They ploughed now with the English plough, and used the other English implements. Before the English went there, the natives had a kind of sweet potato, which they sometimes eat. Since Capt Cook arrived there, they have eaten the ordinary English potato. For animal food —of which they eat very little—they have the English pig, which Captain Cook imported there. Pork in the interior of New Zealand, is sold at l£d. per lb. The English Government, after they * took the rule of the colony, thought the best plan they could do would be to make a treaty with the natives, and a grand treaty was made in the year of 1840. It was made with the chiefs, and by it the natives gave up the sovereignty to the Queen of England ; and the Queen guaranteed that all the land should be bought, and the natives should enjoy all the privileges possessed by the people of ‘England. At the time the treaty was made, there was given to every man who signed it a blanket, and he (the lecturer) believed that the blanket was all the natives knew about the treaty. The treaty was carried all over the colony, for the purpose of receiving signatures, and many of the missionaries assisted in carrying it about from place to place. Soon after the settlers went into the colony, and began to buy land. So things went on for about ten years. During that time no one seemed to think that although we had made that treaty with the natives, we should begin to civilize them. 1 hey fought and carried on their wars as usual. They even ate one another so lately as 1844, and the Government took no notice of it. They (the Government) said they would not interfere unless the natives did something to the English who were there. One man, however, a native, came forward and led the opposition to the English Government. His name was William Thompson, and, besides being a Christian, he was a chief of one of the most warlike tribes. He had always distinguished himself as a peacemaker, and had solemnly declared that from the day he was converted he would give up fighting. That vow, which was made in 1835, he kept until 1863. When they considered that he had lived amongst war for a considerable portion of his life, and that war was waged by his father for a long time, it was remarkable that William Thompson should have kept his vow so long. The fact was he used all his power to make peace. He put down many a bloody war, and ho became so notorious as a peacemaker that whenever a row occurred among the natives, William Thompson was fetehed to see ifhe could settle.the difficulty. He (William Thompson) had often said :—“I want order and laws in the country. The Government never does anything except when an Englishman is killed.” He went to Auckland to sec the Governor, and to arrange for something to bo done for his people. When he got there no was told that the Governor could not see him, and-he returned to his own home, and was told that if he wanted to improve the natives, he must do it himself, and never mind the English Government. On arriving at his own homo he proposed that a native king should be appointed. His plan was received with immense favor by many of the natives. They did not want to drive away the Europeans, but said let us set over us a king, and still be under the Queen of England. Some wanted to drive the Europeans into the sea. There was a great deal of disturbance in the interior as to whether they should set up a native king ; some wanted a king because they had no laws. The lecturer having narrated an incident to show in what an inferior manner justice was administered, said the reason why so much strife arose between the natives, was because some had land and others had not, and when some natives sold land, others went and claimed it, and demanded a share of the money. The chief reason why the natives wished to set up a king was because they thought they were despised by the settlers. A great many who did not know the natives treated them very badly, and called them very bad names. Soldiers and others belonging to the army offended them very much

by calling them “ niggers,” whereas they were only copper-colored. White men often mai’ried native women, and be bad heard of so much desertion of children by husbands he was frequently ashamed to bo called a European. For such frequent acts of desertion of children by European fathers, the natives blamed the Government, although they could have nothing to do with it. The want of order and laws amongst themselves, the difficulties they bad to encounter in selling their land, and the idea that they were becoming a down-trodden race, made them determined to set up a native king. They did do so, and war broke out amongst them iu 1860. The cause of it was a very trifling affair. The natives had sold some land to the Government, and, some other tribes said that they had no right to sell it, therefore the tribes who had not sold tho land sent soldiers to those who had sold it for the purpose of taking it back. They were resisted, and war broke out. The war ragod in 1860 and 1861, and in spite of the efforts of William Thompson and others it continued until February of the latter year. All the people of New Zealand thought there was now to be a general war, and in the middle of the uproar William Thompson called a meeting in his native part of the colony. He said he was going to make peace, but no one believed him. He said he would have peace, and having mustered a number of his tribes, ho travelled over part of tho country and went to see the General, and when he did see him he told him that he wanted three day’s truce. He succeeded in persuading some of the people to give up the war in one district. After that Thom pson went to Auckland, and told tho authorities there that there would be war if they did not give up the native king. He said that by setting up a king they were breaking the treaty they had previously made. Sir George Grey went over there about that time, and he did all he could to smooth matters down and put an end to war. Tho only course Sir George Grey proposed was to place magistrates and such like authorities over them, but they would not believe him, and all the time Sir George was there—two years—military preparations were going on. Everything that was done by the Government between 1861 and 1863 was, in the eyes of the natives, being done to break out a war. In the beginning of last year the war began in tho place where the old war commenced. They commenced the war by killing an escort of seven or eight men, and so far as it had gone it had been an awful affair. He (the lecturer) did hope that he had been able to make one impression upon bis hearers, and that was that the natives of New Zealand were certainly worth something better than total extirmination at the hands of the British Government. The task of civilising them and inspiring them with confidence was a very difficult one and would take a great deal of time. He thought, that for the honour of England we were bound to make them comfortable and happy, because wo had taken the country into our own hands, and insisted that they accept our sovereignty and conform to our laws. The wars in New Zealand cost this country nearly one million a year, which was nearly one penny in tho pound of the Income Tax. It was worth the while of the English Government in being kind to the natives, and endeavouring to civilise them, instead of extirminating them as ho had said. The lecturer then resumed his seat, amid the applause of all present.

A vote of thanks to the lecturer was accorded, and after the Benediction had been pronounced the proceedings were brought to a close.

he describes as so broken that once down in amongst the rocks and gulches he dreaded lest he should never have strength to clamber out. The travelling he describes as fearful, the cattle tracks were lost, and over the rough stones and sharp-pointed crags through which he had principally to clamber grew a dense and at times a heavy bush—a few berries the only food he could procure. Following the downward course of this valley, with scarcely a rag of clothing on iiis torn and bleeding body, on the fifteenth day, to his intense delight, he came to an old, deserted looking whare, into which he crawled expecting to find some remnant of food. In this he was disappointed, but perceiving a piece of an old Maori blanket, and feeling certain that he should soon emerge into an inhabited part of the country, he commenced sewing a waist cloth about his loins, with the assistance of his knife and some fiax.

While so engaged he heard a rustling noise, and turning round saw a Maori standing over him with a morticing axe in his hand. Startled by this sudden appearance, and dreading violence, he held up his hand in a deprecating manner, and entered into a description of his situation. The Maori told him not to be afraid, that he was a Queen's native, and that he would lead him to where he should find food and friends. Brennan had still doubts in his mind as to the Maori’s good intentions, and evidently showed them in his look and manner, for the native at once threw away his axe into the bush as a guarantee of his kind intention, and Brennan immediately allowed himself to be led away by bis deliverer to a short distance, where within view of the sea, and, joyful sight, of a steamer at anchor, he found himself among a party of natives not far from the harbour of the Thames. He was kindly treated, clothed, and fed, and led to the house of a European. Thus ended the dangers and privations of a fifteen days’ exposure in the bush of New Zealand, without food, save the pith of the nikau tree and the few berries lie picked upon the way. Brennan was a stout and rather fat man when he was lost, but, as may be imagined, even now lie appears sadly altered.’ He describes the country through which lie passed to be some of the most broken which he ever saw in Australia or California, and on his describing the particular valley mentioned to the natives, they told him they knew the place, but never dared to venture into it. He is an old gold digger, and 'says that there were many evidences of gold presented to him in his journey, but that of course he despaired too much of his life and was too weak to prosecute any further examination.