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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 96, 26 August 1852, Page 4

"God speed the plough!" — The plough holds a most important position in the plan, development, and progress of civilization and commerce. At the ploughing match on Monday, at Newnham, the benediction of Heaven was invocaled " God Speed the: Plough!" This recognition of Divine Providence is more than a grand luxury in our moral and social economics. Summer and winter, seed time and harvest, form parts of our beautiful economy. Man's bread is produced from a healthy, hardy, fertile grain, committed to the earth, to rise up again in golden inagnilicence, waving in beauty under a meridian sun. JJut the antecedent action or agent is the plough. There is, therefore, a deep and solemn propriety in the invocation "God Speed the Plough!" and when that sacrifice is presented by our rural population, it becomes the incense of a great fill homage, although the glory is obscured by the errors and gloom of our fallen humanity. Man in his semi-barbarous slate is led instinctively on by the suggestions of an imperfectly provident mind to the plough. To cultivate the earth ivas a command, a decree, soon after the morning stars sang together at the birth of creation. And onward through all (he vicissitudes of time has the plough, tho precursor of civilization, broken up the green earth to give " seed to the sower, and bread to the eater." Hut the plough in a commercial aspect, has gained more laurels than the sword, for the one desolates, the other multiplies the comforts and happiness of man; the. one is the promoter of the vices of am. hition, the other of colonization and commerce, for Ihi! fruits of husbandry will purchase by exchange all other necessaries for the comfort and suslenlation of the vast family of man. The sentiment, therefore, of " God Speed the Plough !" is the samea s saying. May we he fed by the power and Pro videncc of God ! Oneunpropitious harvest, would humble the proud and haughty, and if general, would be as terrible as if the earth weresinilten with a curse. .May "God Speed the Plough," be the ottering of every grateful hcirl! A Nnw Way or Comim-xmng Pkocm: to i'Av tiikiu Dkiits.—The most singular mode of detention among the Africans, in Waddy, is that of the Mall, or line. This is how it is done :—Meeting a person iu any spot, to whom you wish to apply the khall, you exclaim, "The, Sultan detains you here." He instantly stands still and, without bond or guard, remains there until delivered. The khall is prescribed for slight faults, and for debt. When a creditor has several limes met hisdebtor, and asked him for his due, and the debtor, while recognising the debt, puts o(V payment, the creditor can, at discretion,, stop his man, make him sit down, and then, with the point of his lance, he traces on the ground a circular line, saying. "In tho name of Allah and (he Prophet! iu the name of the Sultan and the mother of the Sultan! in the name of the tena (a particular office), supporters of the Slate, thou shall not leave this circle until thou hast paid thy debt." The, debtor is obliged to remain enclosed and silling in hisA7i«/f until some one intercedes with the creditor, and he consents to release the prisoner. If iho creditor remains •inflexible and inexorable, the prisoner remains iu his lilmll until he pays his debt. If breaking the bounds be crosses the line, and the creditor complains to the Sultan, the fugitive is pursued, taken wherever he is found, and severely punished.