Sketcher

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 17, 22 July 1893, Page 6

Sketcher

HAWBI - ANT). HIS MISSION. The Maori of the Southern Island ■of New Zealand is a distinct individual from the Maori of the North Island. Surrounded on every side with, the influences of civilisation, he is as European in his thoughts and occupations as the people in whose midst he lives, and but for the darkness of his skin and the trace of his native language he is one of ourselves. But the Maori of the North Island has been less accessible to the influences of civilisation, and this fact has been to him at once a drawback and an advantage —an advantge in that he has been able to preserve the simplicity and truthfulness of his character, which those who are best acquainted-with him declare that he possesses; a drawback, in that the A r eil of superstition and ignorance which surrounds him has never been penetrated, and his life to-day is pursued under such bad sanitary conditions that its continuance under these conditions means the speedy decimation of the race.' Any project, therefore,- or hi ch has for its object the amelioration of the physical condition of the Maori deseiwes well, at the hands of the people of this colony. (Such a project has been conceived by‘ the young halfVcaste Maori, EeAvai, from whose 1 appearance we may judge that the blood of his mother is the dominant current which runs in his' veins. ’ ••

We Have’had'the opportunity during the past week of listening to this talented young native,"both in the pulpit and as he enthusiastically discoursed of “ his Mother’s People . from the platform, and we can testify that he has the ‘ability and earnestness to carry his project to a successful issue, if by those to whom he is appealing. Rawei has been for some" yeairs)-'connected with the Salvation ■ ‘ Army, : ■ at one • timesuperintending' the Maori work, land at others being' engaged in European work. His’'soul libs been stirred by the spectacle' 6f- his inother’s people fast hastening to extinction from: the ravages of "disease, induced by overcrowding in wh&repiihas, • want of proper hygienic conditions of living, and bad and-he has projected, a model settlement in the heart of the country, Where such an example of ihore correct conditions may he set to the Maori race" by one of their own number, as, with the faculty they all jpossess ■ for Imitation,' the improved ideas may hti irtade universal. Coupled with this practical example are td.be .carried ‘ on, ■ collaterally, scholastic and religious instruction. ' As, the projector of this laudable .. scheme, Rawei is possessed? of a singularly fitting individuality. In physique he is a handsome specimen of the Maori race, and is the possessor of a beautiful voice, which is capable of exquisite, modulation," giving him a. clear enunciation, ! and great scope of natural elocution, and when he sings it is with a clearness of tone and ease of. expression which would be envied by niany a professional. ‘ He adopts the, , Maori c'ostiime, and appears clothed in. the usual 'number’ of beautiful Maori mats. His manner , is free, earnest, and possesses many charms, while his style of diction is of a very high order. He speaks with exceeding fluency, never pauses- for a word, but produces a flow of choice and elegant English which very few European speakers can equal. We heard his lecture on Monday evening on “ Maori Music, Song and Story.” He has a keen sense of the humorous, allied to the happy disposition of his people, and kept his audience in a ripple of merriment at his quaint and naive comparisons between the- English and the Maori races. Hor does he lack in pathos, but held his hearers spellbound as he narrated some touching incident bearing on his theme. Space will not enable us to give a lengthy report of his address, but we will merely mentien its chief points. He described the conditions under which ihe Maoris live in the King

Country, herded together’, in,, wharepunas, warmed by charcoal, and with every draught of air, carefully excluded. The result Avas a rapid development of consumption, Avhich was carrying them off at a,n .alarming ■rate; His. plan embraced tlje, establishment of a,.‘settlement in Avhich should be a model Avharepuna, and free from obnoxious conditions, surrounded by A-egetable garden.and orchard, and with school and church close by, such as Avoukl form a model for the race, and Avhich AA r ould no doubt be universally copied. He described the habits and customs of the people and introduced many stories of their Avit and resource, including tAvo instances of the remarkable control the imagination of the people exercises over them, and Avhich resulted in the one case in the death of a stalwart young Maori, and in the other in the miraculous cure of an injured leg. He referred to the religion of Hauhauism Avhich was imented by Te Kooti, Avho took the Bible, took out what he didn’t like, put in what he wanted, and then established it as the oracle of his new religion. We have given but a faint idea of the lecture, which whs replete AA T ith a Avealth of illustration and incident of an appropriate nature. Tn setting forth his scheme, Ravvei appealed to the people to aid him, and hav r e a share with him in its success.

Apart from the philanthropic character of, his mission, the'lectures of :Ra>vei r take a high place, as being instructive and amusing, while to the keen observer he will be found to afford an excellent study of versatile talent and laudable enthusiasm. His evangelistic addresses bn Sunday were models of , earnest exhortation, : founded on personal spiritual experience. We can safely recommend him to the kindly interest and practical sympathy 'of the public in the furtherance of his life’s work.