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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 12, 31 December 1856, Page 1

The year 1856 is now come to an end, and there are circumstances connected with it which call for some consideration on the part of our Native readers. We shall first draw attention to the necessity of marking the rapidity with which time flies away. We cannot avert its progress more than we can influence the flowing and ebbing of the tides. Night and day follow each other in rapid succession, and we should ask ourselves whether we have turned the various nights and days of the past year to good account or not. Many will admit that much of their time has been idly spent; that they have not cultivated so much land or acquired so much wealth as they might have done, if they had only been more industrious. Some might have built better houses, others might have fenced more land, and sown it with grass to feed their horses and cattle, when its strength had been exhausted by a rotation of crops. A few days spent in this way would be n.uch more profitable, and lead to greater happiness, than to be wasting nights and days in endless discussions and talking about the prices of articles; in brooding over imaginary evils, or resenting wrongs that frequently arise from the fact that those who indulge in talking of these things, and creating such mis-

understandings, are very frequently idle , tatlers, who do not consider, when relating such stories, the extent of evil they may entail upon their credulous friends and relatives. The Natives and European farmers alike have suffered very much from the general depression occasioned by the fall in the price of wheat, potatoes, maize and other farming produce. But this should not dishearten them, theliigh prices that have been obtained in previous years could not be expected to continue. We have already told our readers that these high prices were owing to a scarcity of food in the Australian Colonies, consequent upon the influx of a large European population, who came to these Colonies in search of gold. Many of ihesc persons have turned iheir attention to the cultivation of the rich soils of Australia, instead of digging for gold, and they have now produced sufficient crops for their own subsistence. If, however, the prices of crops are low in New Zealand, there are many other articles of export for which money can be obtained; so that if one fails, attention can at once be directed to another. Our Native readers will ask what are these articles for which we can-get money? We shall enumerate some of them, such as flax, kauri gum, copper, Hinau and Towai bark, Gsh, oil, timber *c. While all these resources exist, there is no fear of any depression in this Colony that will materially check the progress and advancement of New Zealand. We cannot too frequently urge upon the natives tne necessity of doing all in their power to have t-heir young people educated. Tbata knowledge ofthe English language may be imparled to them, so that they may have the means of acquiring and possessing the same knowledge as the Europeans; and by this means, instead of being a separated nation, with a different language and-customs, the two races might become a prosperous, happy, and united people, living under the same laws, language, and religion. NVe have now to bid farewell to the year 4856, and in doing so we trust we mav have occasion, before the close of the year i 857, to advert to many favorable changes in the progress and advancement of the Natives of New Zealand in the arts of civilization and peace.