WAIAPU.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 146, 12 March 1874, Page 2

WAIAPU.

[from our own correspondent.] March 7. The weather has been somewhat unsettled during the past fortnight, and on one or two occasions heavy rain fell—causing considerable freshets in the Wafapu river. These pluvial visitations have, however, produced salutary effects upon vegetation, and the face of nature now presents an altered appearance for the better, in every direction. Although this district is dignified with the appellation of being the head quarters or seat of an Anglican Bishopric, yet it does not enjoy those ecclesiastical privileges which places so designated are supposed to enjoy. We have neither a Cathedral nor a Church ; nor have we a resident Clergyman. Until lately the Rev. Mohi Turei—who dwelt here—performed divine Service, in Maori, every Sunday, in our unpretentious place of worship —or meeting-house, as some would term it—but that gentleman having removed to Poverty Bay, we are now without any settled minister, and the ordinances of religion are only occasionally dispensed by a cleric. The few Europeans that are in the locality have not been favored with an English sermon for many months past; but had they been more numerous than they are, the Archdeacon of the diocese would, doubtless, with his usual kindness and condescension, hold diets of worship, in that language, during his periodical visitations to the East Coast.. There is, strange to say, an opinion abroad, in these latitudinarian days—as the far-famed Spurgeon would say—that it is scarcely worth while to officiate to an audience numbering less than ten or fifteen persens ; but it ought to be borne in mind that the Great Head of the Church, preached, on a certain occasion, on the most important doctrinal subject revealed in the Bible, to one individual, and that, too, at night. Perhaps the resident clergyman, at Gisborne, who is the nearest to us, and who is spoken of as an earnest and energetic laborer, filled with a desire to promote both the spiritual and temporal welfare of the community, may find time to pay us a visit, in his official capacity, at no distant day. A very marked reformation has taken place amongst the Natives- of the East Cape, and surrounding localities, of late years; and there are good grounds for believing that it is not a transitory one. The blessings of morality

and industry now seem to be well understood whilst internal feuds and petty are unknown—the Chiefs and other Natives being, as they evidently are, fully ponuaded that uninterrupted peace is, by fur, the best policy. They also clearly perceive that conformity to British law is their only safeguard and they are, moreover, so cognizant of the benefits derivable-from the adoption of English manners and customs, in social affair,, that they are gradually becoming Anglicised’ or Europeanised, in thia respect. It cannot’ of course, be expected that the transition from their former state of eavageary to that of advanced civilization, should either be rapid or perfect; for the annuls of history record the reverse in regard to some o’f the most enlightened heathen nations of the world For centuries civilization made but slow progression amongst the renowned Greeks and Romans of antiquity; and we all know that it was so with the ancient Britons. Three or four hundred years after the Conquest of Britain by the Romans, more than half of t] )e inhabitants of the Island were in almost as barbarous and benighted a state as the Maoris were when the celebrated circumnavigator first landed upon the shores of New Zealand Let us, therefore, bethankful that our Natives are as they are ; and fondly cherish the hope that m a few years hence the difference between these interesting poople and the Europeans may be found to be very insignificant.. Great, however, as the change in the Maori character has been, and beneficial as the development of that character, in various ways, has already proved to he,’imperfections sometimes crop up in the Native community, us, alas! they do in more favored communities. In strolling over the grounds, adjoining the Waiapu Pa, a few days since, I discovered a sad relic of the sanguinary conflicts of which latter this locality—in common with others on the East and West Coasts—was a scene in 1863 and 1864. The relie is a huge shell which was shot from one of the largest pieces of ordnance, on board H.M.s. Eclipse, whilst lying in the Bay, nearly opposite the Pa. The missile did not explode, and as it was known Ito contain destructive..combustiles, it. has Inever been removed from where it fell, for fear of its bursting, as had been the case with another shell simultaneously expelled from the same source. Like similarly constructed shells, it is composed of a large quantify of lead, and great as the temptation to utilize such metal had been, at that time, it was resisted, doubtless, from an apprehension of danger, although it is likely enough that ho useful a thing was frequently coveted. The other shell hurled ashore from the Eclipse, and to which allusion has just been made, destroyed the lives of some twenty individuals —consisting of men, women, and children—■ through their own indiscretion, or, rather, inexcusable daring. In order to denude it of its leaden property, the shell was placed in the heart of a large fire, made for the purpose, —the people squatting round it to await the result. \V hen the devouring element sufficiently heated the contents of the missile, a sudden and unexpected explosion took place—causing almost instantaneous death to the hapless individuals, who resorted to such a dangerous experiment for the sake of a few pounds of lead wherewith to make bullets.

The erection, at Waipeio, of a superior accommodation house is said to bo in contemplation by a gentleman of means, in the district, who is more or less imbued with the advanced, and advancing spirit of the age ; and who. also, appears believer in the American doctrine of free investment of capital and consequent circulation of currency, which, otherwise, would remain in the coffers of the bankers. The accommodation house, or inn, or whatever it may be called, is to be, it is stated, unusually commodious, and will be supplied with those domestic conveniences the lack of which travellers often complain of whilst sojourning in isolated parts of the country. It is probable that an application for the establishment of a second Native School, in the locality known as Kawa Kawa, will shortly be made to the Government, on the ground that one school is not sufficiently near a considerable number of the children to enable them to attend regularly ; and as the Hon. the Native Minister is desirous of promoting the welfare of the Maories, in every possible way, the boon will, no doubt, be accorded on the usual conditions, which are so reasonable as to be unobjectionable. A gentleman from Poverty Bay visited-this part of the coast lately, for the purpose of selecting a sheep run from amongst the thousands of acres that are available therein for pastoral pursuits ; and J am informed t hat he has accomplished his object by a leasing *on.e a few miles North of Cape Runaway. Enterprising Europeans would meet with every encouragement from the natives, who now see the folly of their reluctance, in days gone by, to lease their lands to those who would have turned them to a much better account than they themselves could ever have done; and having made this discovery-although at a later period than it ought to’ have been made—they no longer wish to pursue a line of policy which has, hitherto, militated against their best interests. The ordinary common sense, as well as the educated and enlightened portion of the community, must acknowledge the pertinence of the remarks on the proposed alteration of the Highways Act, as contained in your leading article which appeared in your issue of the 24th ultimo. The proposition to empower Road Boards to exercise supervision over local schools —which supervision, I imagine, impliis periodical inspection of the schools—must be regarded, even by the most superficial thinkers, as a piece of legislation eminently calculated to bring education into contempt. It is scarcely necessary to state, that, without the least intention of speaking disparagingly of any one, a large populat ion of those who form such Boards, do not possess the requisite educational qualifications for the discharge of the important functions which appertain to the efficient oversight of public schools ; and this being the case, would it, I ask, be judicious on the part of any legislature to invest people of that description with power, which it was never designed they should possess ? I trow not. Let the inspection of schools be left to gentlemen competent to perform the work, with credit to themselves and satisfaction to the public; and let it not be supposed, as many do, that almost any one is eligible for the position of a School Inspector. How absurd it would be to authorize a man who is not capable of penning a dozen lines of grammatical English, or working out a simple question in Long Division—as not a few of the members of Road Boards, and Municipal Councillors are unable to do—to judge as to the tuitionary qualifications of a teacher, the proper mai>»g«" meat of a school, or the froficiencv made by pupils; and yet this is what ihi Act in

■question proposes to do. Would it not be a much wiser and a far more satisfactory arrangement to confer this power upon the Resident Magistrates—who, from the position they occupy, must necessarily be men of education—than upon a body of men, indiscriminately ? Undoubtedly it would. In thus writing, I do not wish to be understood as insinuating that there are no educated men amongst those who compose Road Boards and Municipalities; for I know well there are ; and if only such as might be found qualified were appointed to control the schools, no objection could be made to them ; but to empower Boards to exercise supervision, in their collective capacity, or, in other words, to place the illiterate upon a level with the literate, is a proposition which should at once be rejected, as an unheard-of anomaly in connection with public instruction. Our gold prospectors have not yet returned, and the result of their explorations is consequently unknown. I may, however, state that specimens of Ilikauranga quartz, supposed to be slightly impregnated with gold, were, a few days ago, brought to our Resident Magistrate, who intends to forward them to Doctor Hector, for that gentleman’s report, thereon. Several natives from Auckland are here at present on a total abstinence mission to their ‘■brethren on the coast, but I have not heard 'Whether or not they have succeeded •in making any or many converts. I believe ■the temperate habits of the Maories in this district can bear favorable comparison with those of other localities in the North Island.