THE APOSTLE AND PIONEER OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND

Waikato Times, Volume 2507, Issue XXXI, 4 August 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE APOSTLE AND PIONEER OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND

The following interesting letter, written r l>v the father" of our fellow-colonist Mr i \V. A. Graham, appeared in the columns I of an English paper. Sir,—The 12th t May next is the fiftieth anniversary of ) the death of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, ! who was for forty five years senior chap- i lain of New South Wales, the Apostle of < New Zealand, pioneer of mission work ' and colonisation in that colony. I hope 1 you will find space in your columns for rny short account of this benefactor to the i colony. 1 In the year 1793 he sailed from Hull in a convict ship for New South WalesThe Rev. Mr Johnson having resigned, left Mr Marsden in sole charge of the spiritual concerns of the infant colony, and he performed his difficult duties with zeal and success. After an absence of fourteen years he returned to England on leave of absence. While in London ho did much to improve the condition of the couvicts in Australia ; he laid the foundation of the Church of England Mission to New Zealand, and induced the Church Missionary Society to co-operate with him. He laid great stress upon the necessity of civilisation going first as the pioneer of the gospel. In the ship Ann Mr Marsden, in 1810, met a Maori chief named Tu.iterra on his voyage out to New South Wales, and learnt, the Maori language, secured that chief's friendship, who became an active instrument in establishing the New Zealand Mission and introudcing the arts of civilization and Christian knowledge in his native country. After living six months at Parramatta with Mr Marsden, Tuaterra, accompanied by Messrs Hall, King, and Kendal (three laymen), visited the Bay of Islands, and these missionaries having been introduced to the Maoris they returned with several young chiefs for education at Parramatta, having purchased a vessel named the Active. Mr Marsden, seven Maoris, with Messrs. Kenball, Hall and King, with their wives and children, numbering thirty-five persons, on November 19 embarked at Sydney on his great mission to New Zealand, and was kindly welcomed by the head chiefs. On Sunday (Christmas clay), 1814, after raising the British flag, Mr Marsden held the first divine service in New Zealaud, there being preseut all the Europeans, some sailors, and several Maoris, who had been educated at Paramatta. Messrs. Kendall, Hall, and King were left at the Bay of Islands, and these laymen were the first to make known the Gospel there. Mr Marsden, on his return to Sydney, took with him ten young chiefs for instruction ; they landed there on March 25, 1815. In August, 181°, Mr Marsden took several missionaries to New Zealand, with their families, and he made a circuitous journey of about 700 miles, exploring the country with a view to more extensive operations. He visited New Zealand seven times, and had great influence over the Maoris, aud was beloved by them. He gave them seeds, wheat, &c.,_ and and encouraged the mission to cultivate the land, plant orchards, &c, and thus instruct the aborigines. This much for civilisation. In the year 1823, when the Rev. I Williams joined the Mission, the Maoris were savage cannibals, but a noble race, the mission and European settlers having persuaded the Maoris to agree to the treaty of Waitangi. When we arrived in New Zealand with Captain Hobson, and he became governor of the Colony, in 1840, the Maoris were a Sabbath-keep-ing, prayerful, sober, trustworthy, kind people. Many could read and write ; their cultivations were clean and extensive. Cannibalism had been put down. Mr Marsden's last visit to New Zealand was in 1837. He was then aged and unwell. He had done his work in simplicity of faith aud self-denying labours. He was truly an apostolic man, laying the foundation for thesuceess of thousands, establishing true religion, paving the way for colonisation, commerce, aud happy homes, in the finest climate in the world, and a wonderfully fertile land. He died, as before stated, on the 12th May, 1838, and was buried at Paramatta, New South Wales, mourned by hundreds. A church was built to his memory by voluntary subscriptions that cost £6,000. Those who knew him best loved him for his own and for his work's sake.—Yours truly, George Graham. Hove, Brighton, sth May, 188 S. *»* We insert this letter from the pen of an old colonist, dating from 1537, who knew all the early New Zealand missionaries. Our readers will remember Bishop Marsden, who has recently resigned the Bishopric of Bathurst, is a grandson of Samuel Marsden, the Apostle of New Zealand. Ed. P. N.