LECTURE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1768, 26 July 1888, Page 2

LECTURE.

The Rev. R. S. Bunn delivered a lecture last Tuesday evening ia the Tolunteer Hall, Temuka, the subject being “ Life in the Backwoods of America.” The rey. gentleman was unfortunate with reference to the delivery of this lecture. It was advertised some couple of weeks ago, but, owing to the inclemency of the weather, it had to be postponed. List Tuesday evening there was a meeting for the purpose of establishing a Popular Sports Society; there was a mee'iiig in the Presbyterian Church, and a parade of the Volunteers, but despite all those there was a fair attendance. The lecUire was very interesting, and evoked much merriment. The Rev. Mr Hamilton, in taking the chair, said lie hid to apologise for Mr Hnyhurat, who was unavoidably absent. After a few introductory remaik*, he called upon the choir to sing the nuloly “America,” The choir next sang “ThStar Spangled after which '.he rev. chairman introdured the lecturer. The rev. 'ecturer, who, on rising, was received with gre it applause, stid America was a very big p* ca, and deplored t'u fact that its early history was lost. He gave glowing poetic descriptions of *htempts to the son, moon, and stars, and the o her won le fill woks in Pern, boi said nothing w-is known of ttieir origin, or of the people who erected th rm, Hs next briefly rferred to the discovery of America by Columbus, and give a graphic description of its geographical features, after which he commenced to deal w 1 1 the backwoods of America and its people. They were like ourselves in trying to do well for ourselves nod our families. In leaving Britain we came hero to better ourjposition. U was about 20 ye rs ago the Superintendent of Canterbury met five young gentlemen in kid g'ovos and highly scented in his office, lie asked them what they cou d do. They asked his advice, and he replied, “Do as I did —break atone 8 ,” Whenever people in America desire to improve their position they sell their property, bay bullocks, and go nest. They have to swim rivers and watch cattle until they reach their destination, and select ttieir future home ß . They go into the heart of forests, and with their axes cut down trees, and in a very short space of time their future home is built, while the children gather leaves whioh form a bed. The boy has to assist in the housework ; the girl has to shoulder a gun and swim a river; they are all brought up to hard work. They are of a religious turn of mind, and with the early dawn read their Bible and sing a hymn. The.boys and girls work hard, like their fathers and mothers, and like them, too, they love and marry. They don’t begin to work on “ tick,” and it would be well for persons in this colony to do the same. He gave a funny description of a wedding, and said there was a naturalness about the fir west people which was far preferable to the etiquette jealousies of the upper ten, Their’s was a natural selection; then's was a marriage of lova, and it led to contentment. Every feeling of human nature ia subdued, every noble aspiration is suppressed, in the great struggle of lira classes to get a maximum amount of comfort for a minimum of labor. It was not so with A mer ei. They sought a minimum of comfort for a maximum of labor He then gav* a description of the boatmen on the rivers, who were always fighting, fiddling, dancing, or shooting, yet would give up a month’s labor to watch over an sfllcted neighbor. They were extraordinary riflemen ; their pasttime was snuffing candles at night with rifle shots. They were honorable, they would work the skin of their hands to pay their debts, yet they would not think much of robbing all the orchards in the town. They feared no mao, an 1 never sought a f»vor. They were gimts in strength. The lecturer then read a portion ef a most amusing sermon delivered by one of the preachers of the place, to i lustrate the character of that class, and told several laughter-provoking anecdotes ef the people, their manners, and their customs, and after having spoken for over an hour sat down amidst great applause.

On the motion of the rev. chdrunn, a vote of thanks to the lecturer was carried by acclamation, and on the motion of Mr J. Brown the usual compliment was passed to the chairman, Daring the evening the choir eang several pieces, including “The 0;d Folks at Home,” “ fhe Boatman,” and “ QooJ Night.”