LETTER FROM REV. T. CHAPMAN.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VI, Issue 10, 31 May 1859, Page 5

LETTER FROM REV. T. CHAPMAN.

No. 4. While my hands were employed this morning, working in my garden, my thoughts were more busy, looking back upon the scenes I have passed thro' during my sojourn in New Zealand. Upon my first arrival at Kotorua, axes had names, spades were euriosilies; and adzes were haruly known at all, Consequently, the size and finish of your canoes excited my wonder. I asked a tangata maori how you managed, before the European visited you to make yourselves such superior canoes. He replied, that it was a great work, and that much of the inside of the tree was cleared away by constantly using fire to consume it—but that care was required lest injury should be done to the outer part of the trunk, ttut how, I enquired, did you manage with your stone adzes to fell your largest trees ? This, he replied, was almost as great a work as making the canoe. Having selected a tree, lie continued, a large portion of the tribe, men, women and children, wenL in a body to the place where the tree grew and there made an encampment. Having cleared away a space round ihe tree, and built temporary huts, the mer» by turns, worked with all their strength, day after day, until

a broad girt wis cut round the whole body of the tree. At this stage, fire was applied and carefully kepi burning until the whole indented circle was well charred. The charred part was now cleared awav; and the work of ibc stone adzes patiently continued for a time," then the fire; and then the stone adzes, until the tree fell. Working regularly in this way, ton men would not fell a large tree in less than ten days! And how long, said I, would ittakefourmeri now. to fell the same sized tree? 0 now ! now, two men will fell the largest tree in a day, and the next clay clear away the upper pari for beginning the canoe. Yes, said F, and when you purchase an axe or an adze—a plough or a cart, with the many other useful things, sold in different shops, I daresay you seldom think how many generations of the English passed away before they became skilful enough to make agricultural and other tools in the perfection you receive them. Bill why am I thus writing to you ? lam thus writing to you, in order that you may consider a little more than you do, the advantages you are deriving from your kind friends the English who are settling around you. Are you not sharers in the benefits which they have obtained by occupying portions of your waste lands ? " Where and in what condition were Ngaliwhatua twenty live years ago? And were not Ngalimaru! at the same period in continual fear from their enemies; confined to their pas, and scarcely possessing seed to plant their ground? Infanticide common among them, the excuse being lest ihey should be encumbered with children if attacked by hostile tribes. And Ngapuhi too, amid their wars and victories decreased in numbers, and are now only equal to other tribes. Waikalo, at the same lime, though powerful, abandoned their places in the Manukau, retiring for quiet and safety inland, while Taurangu and Rolorua under the harrass ol war were wasting away. Truly vou had in those days, to tell of the pas you had sacked—but your own pas were sacked loo! You could tell of slaves obtained—but your own children were slaves also! You could boast that slaves cultivated your ground and cooked your food—but your own children were groaning under the same slavery in

another pari of the island. If then all these miseries have passed away, learn contentment and thankfulness for the present change in your circumstances. Envy not those, who with superior knowledge and greater industry, would quietly labour side by side with you, always willing to help you fcrward, share with you and do you good. Let us work on then in quietness and love. Bright as the days are now, brighter than these lie before you, if you steadily pursue the advantages that await you on every side. But more in my next. T. CnAPMAN.