Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

NOTES OF A JOURNEY ON THE EAST COAST.

The following jottings of a trip to Hick’s Bay may perhaps not be uninteresting to some of your readers:— We sailed from Gisborne on the 18th of May by the Effie Meikle, bound for W aipiro, at which place we arrived on the 20th. The Native Lands Court; which had been opened on the 17th, had already disposed of the following business :—The Matakaoa Block, Hick’s Bay, 63 owners, Rotokautuku j)il-spring Block, 425 owners, Te Ahi a te Atua, about the same number, and the Ahikouka Block thrown out. A large number of natives were present at the opening of the Court, probably from seven to eight hundred; when we reached Waipiro numbers of these had returned to their respective homes, food being rather scarce at this time of the year. The Court was held in a large maori church, Which, although in a dilapidated condition, was not ill adapted for the purpose ; the natives conducted themselves in a very orderly and peaceable manner, and the decisions appeared to give general satisfaction. From the opinions I have heard expressed by the natives, 1 believe that the Lands Court is likely to become a popular institution amongst the ; its next sitting is to be held during .the ensuing summer, which will be far more convenient for all concerned than the present inclement season, the continued rain, badness of the roads, flooded rivers, and other drawbacks incident to winter time render “ signature hunting,” both prolonged and expensive ; and particularly so when you take into consideration that every signature to a deed affecting land transactions between natives and Europeans, must be attestated by a judge of the Native Lands Court, or a Resident Magistrate and at least one other credible male witness, after having been explained to the natives by a licensed interpreter. This clause is considered by both Europeans and natives to be unnecessarily stringent; it presses heavily on a worthy and energetic class of the community—the lessees of Native lands — to whose enterprise is due much of the prosperity i&f the East Coast. The owners in most instances are scattered over a large extent of country, many living at out of-the-way kaingas, aud the difficulty of getting •everyone of them to sign his or her name before a Resident Magistrate can only be duly appreciated by those who have tried it. But to return to Waipiro: When the business of the day was over, the natives usually wound up with an entertainment of a varied and amusing kind; here might

be seen boisterous youths and shoeless damsels in scanty attire essaying the “ light fantastic” to the inspiring strains of aiEold concertina ; the programme was occasionally varied with a “ haka” or ngarahu ; some half dozen wax candles, held in the hands of the by-standers, imperfectly illuminated the large building ; the motley crowd assembled at this “gay and festive scene,” was very ludicrous, their combined shouts and laughter making the place appear a sort of earthly Pandemonium. Before leaving Waipiro, I would mention the excellent accommodation and moderate charges of the hotel kept by Thomas Fox, a halfcaste, and nephew of Major Ropata. On the 23rd May we sailed for Hicks Bay ; following the beach from Waipiro, a short distance brings us to Aku Aku a good sized settlement. Here there are several wooden houses including a school house and master’s residence; the school, I hear, is very well attended; the natives evidently appreciate the efforts made by the Government to improve their mental condition, and teach them thfe English language ; but with all deference to the superior abilities and perseverance of the masters of native schools, I think it must be evident to anyone conversant with the matter that they will not succeed in the main object of their mission to any great extent. The native children hearing nothing but Maori spoken, except during school hours, cannot be expected to acquire a knowledge of the English vernacular which is so utterly dissimilar to their own in sound, idiom, and grammatical construction; some may, indeed, pick up a “ smattering ” of it but not sufficient to enable them to understand and appreciate its beauty and force as a language. To give the Maori youth a sound, practical, knowledge of the anglo saxon tongue, it would, in my humble opinion, be necessary to remove them altogether from their native kaingas, and place them at schools in large towns, or other centres of European population, where, hearing nothing but English spoken, andaway from the influenceand example of their relations, they would soon learn English and grow up to be useful and enlightened members of the community. The natives show consideableaptitude in acquiring knowledge conveyed to them in their own language, such as arithmetic, and other kindred studies in which some of them are remarkably proficient. (To be Continued.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBS18750717.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 290, 17 July 1875, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
810

NOTES OF A JOURNEY ON THE EAST COAST. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 290, 17 July 1875, Page 2

NOTES OF A JOURNEY ON THE EAST COAST. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 290, 17 July 1875, Page 2

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert