Colonial News.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 361, 19 April 1856, Page 4

Colonial News.

A MAORI CHURCH. (From the " New Zealandcr."

We have much pleasure in giving insertion "to an interesting extract from a private letter, which ha? been placed at our disposal. East Cape. February 20th, 1856. I hasten to give you a description of the opeuing of the church of St. John at Raugitukia, by Bishop Selwyn. Of course you have heard of the. laborious journey he is performing through his immense diocese, through the whole extent of the three islands of New Zealand. He is alone, and on foot. He carries with him his tent, his baggage, and his saddle. When he is fortunate enough to get a horse, he rides ; when the natives of the various stations he visits go to meet him, or the clergymen or teachers take him on from one station to another, iie accepts their assistance ; at other times, as I said before, he is on foot and alone. Hatchet in hand, he cuts his way up the ru-jged hills, and through the thick forest tracts of the country which he has adopted, and which he loves so well, —a second Xavier, in all but his stedfas'. and unconquerable attachment to one peculiar people. There are indeed those who aver that in his iron frame the head preponderates over the heart, and the stern will over the Christian chanty. There are some who wish that his strong yoke were easier, and his heavy burden lighter to bear. However, we are not talking of this now. The Maories think great things of the man who is pre-eminently their own Bishop, and they have reason. No one doubts his unfeigned love and lender care for them. Consequently the whole tribe of the Ngatiporou gathered together at Rangitukia to meet the " Pihopa." As I told yon before, the district of the Waiapn is a long and seemingly interminable plain or valle}', closed in on every side but one by forest covered hills, which rise one behind another until, in the back ground, the lofty summits of Hikurangi bathe their snow-crowned hea<l« in the dyes of the ris ng or setting sun. On the eastern side, the sea foams and surges between two bold cliffs upon a short and pebbly beach. Three rivers, rising in Hikuraagi, take their way | through this valley to the sea, the largest of which, the Waiapu, gives its tnirne to the district. It was alonj; this valley, and across these rivers, from the various pahs studded alors^ their banks—from Renorua. th^ Ti. the H )V>. Pukemaire, and riikup.tpa. that the natives, headed by their respective teachers, came in large bands to meet together, at Rnniritnkia. They came, not only the ablft-bodie ■ men. and .strong adult women : they came one and all. from the hoary sire wish his white head and reverend beard, who had taken a week to perform a day's journey, to the liitle child just able to crawl along beside its mother ; and the newmade mother rose from her bed to come ; the maimed, the halt. i lie blind, ail came. They came for two purp ■><';£ —th» first, to m^et their b'shon : the seco;i i, to see for the first time performed, in ;i church entirely the work of their own hands, the sacred rites and ceremonies of the holy Protestant ritti;.}. Tiii' church, which no European finsrers have touched, was begun just, fifteen months ag'>. on bt. John's day. It is 77 feet lorn.' by 30 broad, cross shaj-ed, and its small belfry contains a swee". tuned bei!. The po^i* which support, ihe rid-_ re pole are of toiaro and puriri. sum" o! trie In-si, and hardest wo >ds in N".v Z<.-al,i:;d 1 h<{ best totara is fourr! burial in ' • sand by the wa->iiiOß. The natives dug it out with JrniuesiKe labour, airi this -v ><>(!. thu~ hs il were petrified uud puiiied, U <cp;tl to sUkiu

in durability. The weather boarding is oik kaihikia. and it is lined with, kaihikia and totara slabs. The ridge pol^.and rafters are whakairoed by native artists,' in red, green, while and black.

The bishop came to Waiapu on Saturday, the l(>th of February—the day he had himself named many months bef-u-e—fol-lowed by an immense concourse of natives, and escorted by the resident missionary the Rev. C. Baker. He is much aged since I last saw him closely, some five years ago. His /ace is ploughed with furrows, and his cheeks are hollow ; yet I fancied the expression of his countenance seemed sweeter and less stern. His whole time on Saturday, till dusk in the evening, was occupied —with the exception of three quarters of an "hour rest—with examining the different classes for confirmation on the ensuing day,

On the next day (Sunday) be administered the Lord's Supper to 350 communicants, and in the afternoon confirmed 232 adults. The church was crammed to suffocation, 800 being1 inside, and about 200 outside unable to obtain admittance. The greater part of these were respectably attired in European clothing. I particularly noticed the chiefs and teachers of the respective pahs, dressed in their full suits of black, clustered around the centre parts of the church. One was an old man fully tatooed ; another, Edward the chief and monitor of the Koro, was a fine handsome young fellow, with unmarked face, and v broad square brow, full of sense and intelligence. The next day there was a marriage in the church. The bride and bridegroom, the father in church, and the witnesses, all subscribed their names in legible characters. I was particularly amused with the appear ance o.: the bridegroom : he was rather an ill. made young fellow of about 17. with his hair plastered over his forehead, and a queer twinkle in his eye. His clothes were quite new. and his plaid satin waistcoat of surpassing' brilliancy. He evidently felt it to be so, and knocked his knees together and turned in his toes, half in shyness and half in amazement. The bride was at least hall"as big a^ain as her lord, and did not look by any means so much ashamed <,f herself. She was respectably attired in a well made gown and handsome shawl.

The maories iiad determined beforehand to celebrate the completion of the church with a feast. This took place on Tuesday, and was, in my opinion, a lamentable exhibition of the native character. Sis splendid oxen, thirty sheep, and several piu;s were slaughtered under circumstances of the most barhar us cruelty. It. is in this treatment of animals that the Maori *h ny - all his native savajran^ss and ferocity- Forty bag.of rice were boiled, and they filled twelve wakas (canoes), and it took seven bags of su^ar to sweeten them. Such is a maorie's idea of a little dish for a banquet. Besides this there were piles of bread and many kindred kits of potatoes- It was a cyclopean or Homeric 'ensf. only far more baibarons. As each waka of rice was bronyht to the banquet fiu^ ground (a hollow rid^e of s^rass wi:ii a sort of terrace on each side,) they

danced their native dance in the most exact tim<\ flourishing their mere's in their Jifinds. Tnere was no order amongst them, nothing but confusion and a dangerous exoiiement, ; neither would the blackened lumps of beef nor the sheep roasted whole to their very horns, have templed the appetite oi ;t;i epicure. There were no longer as on tii.t eve::ing, the 800 or 1000 quiet and S'li.ius souls, who had filled on the previ'; )■; .Sahb.itii that church, at which they had lii'-j'.jHutd so nant'uiy and s<^ well ; they were a thr-usand savages, with all their \vor.-;< j>r-si<>:is ui'ivfl, r^ady for anythiny, nwh.'i'f o.j spark would have kindled a 11. v-

which nothing could have quenched but blood.

In singular contrast to this had been the scene we had viewed only that very mornim* in the pah. The number of natives from a distance had been too great for them all to find shelter in the native whares ; tents were therefore erected for them. It was one of those lovely days in early Autumn which make one wonder what surpassing loveliness can exceed the beauty of the New Zealand violet sky. the clear and winding rivers, the fragrance of the abundant and almost always flowering forest trees, the distant inuimur of little birds, of gorgeous insects ever on the wing, of the soft wind which plays in the tali flax plants, and sighs amid the white blossoms of the scented manuka. We had strolled out to enjoy the morning, and from the brow of a hilt came suddenly upon one of their encampments, which we had not before noticed. A little stream glittered in the sunbeams below r.s, and by the side of it, in the cool shelte-J-of the umbrageous trees which stood upon ifs banks, the maories had stretched their while tents. They were all sorts and sizes, and most invitingly open. All seemed quietness and content among them. Tha little children rolled about hulf naked in the sun; the men in their red or blue shirts, stalked up and down together, or lay smoking in happy enjoyment of the clolce far niente; while the women crouching down in front of their tires, prepared the morning meal. A sweet and pleasant sound of children's voices, mixed with the treble of the wotien, the deep base of the men, and the ringinglaughter of the } roiing girls, came up to us where we stood above that lovely glen. Far out on the extreme left, the waters of the Waiapu were mingling witii the wild foam and swell of the broad and blue Pacific. The old ocean king, with his hoary mane, rushed in with his fullest tide, and staj^ed to gaze upon the scene. And all above and below us was fair, and all around us was fair also, and pleasant to look upon : and there cuine a still small voice into our hearts and whispered, •' And God saw everything that. He had made, and behuid it was very go »d. "

K.wis, Eiizeroum, November 14—Notwithstanding Uiat, a great quantity of snow has fallen, and that the cold is very severe, the Russian army lias not. quitted its position before X irs. General Mouravifff has detached f'tom liis army corps a division of about; 8000 men, who, at this present, moment, are on tin; Sohiinli Di^li, and wlio, ii is suui, an; to march on lirz^nnnn in case ot' the survendev t>i Kavs. Last week the Russian Division encamped at Deli B.iija, on tiie iiiiyazid road, made its a jijx; ujMice. in tlie piain of Hasan Ki!eh ; ulio'e it found and seized some barley and gn.in. Seliin Pasiia, General-iu-chief of the second aiinv corps intends quii tin<^lm zei mini 10-morro\v uitii 10,000 men in order lo proceed willi Ins forces to ihe relief of tvurs .

Omar Paoua keeps uj> a strict discipline nuiavic iiis troops. Pillage is severely inniiblieii. Tin: ciiv of Sagdidi ami the pai.icf and jjardcns of the Princess JJadiau nave suntpiiloiisly n;S|R'(:tt'd. The iiiiiaiiitiMil.s ha^'i.1 regained confiili'iioc, ;imo il is said ioal the rci^niiiji Princess 01 Mini.:reiia is aliuui to lcnirn with her family. A lew Abiisian horsemen havin» been gtiill/ of jiillatje osi si.tiiie occasions, have l>eei\ sent hack by tin; (icneralisMUict, wiio have made Priiicu .Micii.iui iJiiiiiKi U,;y r<;s|)uij.sii)le h'l',jP damage done li« tliu men.

Loss ok A Sardinian Wak STEAjri-Mt.— •*■ Sardinian «ar *te;uni-r, .wlnoii was bringinglo ('iin^iiiiiiiiiojiie ;i v real number of moU fi'1"1 the ambulance at Balaclava, has foundered, ami all on board peiiMied.

A man wiio bad been ndmittud to a bosp'tal at Nt'vvua-tle !or .1 in ■inHiUii: aiiecuon was dis-misc-l as iiMMirahlt; ; he wished lo return hoim; 10 Mavi'rton Hill — |jf<y miles away : bolb from lack of iuiid.s iimi from the modo of uansii bt'ii'if the ea.Niest to the putiunl, his strong ami willing wile ciirrie.i iiim vii ivr h.u:k tin; lilt) milca, »M fuuri'.ren h^ui'j, rttting once .v Duuj.ui) !