THE INFATUATION OF GAMBLING.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 1, Issue 25, 6 December 1849, Page 2

THE INFATUATION OF GAMBLING.

Of the manifold temptations to which man is exposed, none, perhaps, is so utterly subversive of his moral and material prosperity as gambling. In all ages and conditions of man, —savngo or civilized, — no device lias been so pregnant of ruin as an uncontrolled indulgence in this detestable vice, whether by cards or dice, or any other means cnlcu'ntcd to excite the unhallowed lust of play. Gambling may be truly designated the fruitful pa" rent of evil. -No human passion has tended to debase humanity so much. No propensity has so successfully undermined every honourable principle ; so bitterly perrerfed every generous impulse of the human heart. It saps every natural tie between man and man. It uproots the holiest nml the tenderest affections. It sunders lather and son. It estranges the husband and the wife ; and causes tho once floating parent to become deaf to his offsprings' claims. It too often leads its worshippers through all the stages of deceit and guilt. Robbery and murder have been its frequent 'confederates. Fraud and falsehood are its familiar associates. The m-h it beggars. The poor it enslaves. Of how many of its victims is suicide tho last and appalling resource—or to how many has it not been tlie ruin both of body and soul ! Against the destructive practice of gambling, the admonitions of the wisa and good of every ago have been incessantly mid energetically poured forth. And nothing- can more clearly demonstrate its utter iniquity, than tho simple fact that gambling is a secret vice, —one which but a few degraded nations permit, but v.hicli the lav.;; of a nobler people punish, upon detection, by line and imprisonment. Wo, sometime since, expressed a deep and sincere regret at learning that many of you Maories were in the habit of indulging in card playing, to a ruinous and disgraceful extent. This lamentable practice has again, we giieve to say. been brought i:i:der our observation. We intrcat you, our good native fellow colonists, to weigh the matter calmly and seriously. Remember that tho winner of to-day is almost sure to be the loser of to-morrow. And how are even momentary gaii:s p.cn,ui:i'd ? In nil probability by tlio ruin of a friend. Ts that a fit or worthy inanurr for tin honest man to ac(juiie riches? V/onld not both winner and loser be richer, happier, and better men did they devote the time, misspent in thu plunder of each other, to the cultivation of i'.eh- laud, the increasing of their pigs, the endeavour to manufacture butter and cheese, and to tlie acquisition of food, clothing, and money for their wives and children. Maories ! —You are a prudent and a thoughtful people. Reflect, then, which is the most estimable in tho sight of God and man, —the industrious, prosperous husbandman, or the naked, hungry and ruined gamester! Below wo give the stories of acivi'ized and a savage games-

tor, Say,—arc cither of the wretched examples worthy of imitation? 1«E C'ivir,i/i:n Camiilcr. Some Cow years since, before gaming houses wore prohibited by law in France, a relative of our own wan induced to enter a, celebrated jdny establishment in Paris, (in London, these dens arc appropriately teimed "ilisLis'') in order to contemplate the nature and character of licensed gambling. Every tiling in this mansion was of the most sumptuous and costly description, and the splendid rooms were crowded by elegant and fashionably dressed men and women, (iaiuing, of all sorts, was in active progress, 'flic tables were lo.'idcd with piles of gold and silver, and surrounded by ninny an eager as well as by many a despairing gambler. A young man of handsome but careworn aspcit approached the table at which our relate e was looking on —lie drew a large su.i! in go'dfrom his pc-lcef, and in answer to tin; incessant cry,— " Make your game, ladies and gent'emen"

—lie staked it :i : l upon :i single chance, watching tliu ivsii'i. in asato of frcir/.ieil excitement. The gamu was 0110 determined by arithmetical calculation, and, according to (Ik: reckoning of the person in charge of the fable, the young man's stake was lost —lie did not question, the aoeuraey of tlio statement but, pulling liis hut franticly over liis brows, darted from tdo room. Meanwhile, a spectator, who had been anxiously observing this young man, made his own calculation of the game, and assured the table keeper that he had commit-, ted a mistake, that the young man had not lost, but that, on the contrary he had won, the table keeper calculated t(:c game anew, and assented to the correctness of flic spectator—the young man's stake liad won. Inquiry was immediately made respecting him to restore his stake ami to j-.uy his winnings. At that moment exclamations of alarm were heard from the hall without. l/ranlic. at his loss, or rather at his supposed loss, the young man had precipitated liinrelf from the window to the street, killed on the spot by I In: fall, Tak Savaob Gamiii.br.

The game of h:\nrl is played by two persons. One who commences, places ii plum or cherry stone in the hollow formed by joining the concaved palms of the hand together, thru slinking tlie stones for a few moments (lie hands arc suddenly separated, and the other player must guess which hand now contains the stone. Large bets are often wagereil on the result of this favorite game, which is often also played by the squaws, the men standing round encouraging them to bet, and laughing loudly at their grotesque excitement. A Brunt-wood Siou.v, Tah-tunga-nisha, ami one of the bravest chiefs of his tribe, when a young man, was out on u jolitary war-expedition against the Crows. One evening lie drew near ' a medicine' spring wlierc to his astonishment, he encountered a Crow warrior in the act of quenching bis thirst. He was on the point of drawing his bow upon him, when he remembered the sacred nature of the spot, and making the sign of pence, lie fo:.rlcss!y drew near his foe, and proceeded M-.c.vUc to sl»ke his thirst. A pipe of liimii!c-kii:uik being produced, it was proposed to pass away the ea-Iy part of the. night in the game of ' hand.' They accordingly sat down beside the spiing nnd commenced the game. Fortune favored the Crow. He won arrow after arrow from the Brunt-wood bravo ; then his bow, his club, bis knife, his robe, all followed, ami theSionx'sal naked on the plain. Still he proposed another stake against the other's winning's—his sca'p. He played and lost ; and bending forward his liea<',lhu Crow warrior drew his knife, and quickly removed the bleeding prize. Without n murmur the luckless warrior rose to depart, but first exacted a promise from bis antagonist, that he would meet liini once more at the same, spot, and engage in another trial of skill. On the day appointed the Brunt-wood sought the spot, with a new equipment and again the Crow made his appearance, nnd they sat down to piny. This time fortune changed sides, and the Sioux won back hi* former losses and in bis turn the Crew was stripped to his s kin. Scalp against scalp was now at atnkc,

and this time the Crow submitted his head to the victorious Brunt-wood's kuifo ; and both the warriors stood scalpless on the plain. And now the (-'row had but one single stake of value to ofl'er, and tlio offer of it lie ili I not lie.-i ate to make. He sta ed his life agai st lln* other's winnings. They played, and foi tune still being adverse he lost. The Brunt-wood plunged his knife into his heart to the very hiit; and laden with the spoils, returned to his village, and to this day wears suspended from his ears his own and his enemy's scalp.'