was greatly increased,* (103 girls and 89 boys) and we trust that our God will graciously bless us with a full sense of our privilege and respousibility, and the outpouring of his Spirit upon the souls of the children.

Contrasting our actual position with that in which we stood a little while ago, we have abundant cause of thankfulness. We are much indebted to our worthy Mayor for his kind attendance in the boy's school; he has succeeded in establishing good order.

We have a teacher's meeting at the Vicarage once a month, and circulate two numbers of your valued periodical with much interest.

As the first two hymns in our selection are I believe, little known, might you not print them with advantage?

With sincerest wishes, and humble prayers for success upon all your efforts, Belive me to remain, Your's faithfully,

James F. Todd.

THE prophet Isaiah, in anticipation of Gospel days, had foretold in rapturous strains, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." (ch. lv. 13); "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them," (chap. xi. 6.) These striking figures, drawn from the animal and vegetable kingdoms, describe the blessed effects which should accompany the publication of the Gospel of Christ ; and though millenial days will doubtless witness a fuller accomplishment of the glowing prophecies we have quoted, still they have been receiving their fulfilment from the earliest dawn of the present dispensation down to the period in which we live, and it is our privilege to mark, under the faithful preaching of the Gospel, in our own land—and perhaps, on account of the contrast between the past and the present, with

greater distinctness in heathen lands, the accuracy, force, and beauty of this prophetic imagery.

In former Numbers, we have given a brief history of the commencement and progress of the New Zealand Mission; we purpose, in this our concluding Article on this interesting subject, to cite from our Missionary Records some historical facts, descriptive of the present state of the Colony; which, compared with its former degraded state, will tend strikingly to illustrate the prophecies of the evangelical prophet.

We must offer first some general information, and then relate some particular circumstances.

In four years, from 1838 to 1842, the number of natives under the care of the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society increased from 2000 to 35,000; including those who had received baptism and those who were candidates. The Missionaries and Catechists of the Society were then thirty-four in number, occupying nineteen stations surrounding the Northern Island. The New Testament and many books of the

Old Testament had been translated, and more than 20,000 copies had been distributed among the natives. Christianity had been so manifestly established among the people, that upon the arrival of the first Bishop of New Zealand, in May 1842, he bore this remarkable testimony to the work which had been already accomplished, "We see here a whole nation of Pagans converted to the faith. A few faithful men, by the power of the Spirit of God, have been the instruments of adding another Christian people to the family of God." Since that period, at least 20,000 additional copies of the Scriptures have been circulated among the New Zealanders, also large editions of the prayer book, and at the present time, the Church Missionary Society numbers, in twenty-three stations and under the charge of sixteen Missionaries and thirteen European teachers, 358 native teachers, 5012 communicants, and about 50,000 worshippers. How blessed a reward for all the labour spent and tears shed on this once unkindly soil! The prophet's words respecting the feet of them that publish the Gospel of peace, are indeed found true, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose. It shall blossom abun

dantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing." (Isaiah xxxv. 1, 2.)

But let us proceed to relate one or two particular instances, which will be perused with interest.

The Rev. Christopher Davies gives a striking instance of the power of the Gospel which he himself had the privilege of witnessing. He visited a Pa belonging to two Christian Chiefs, Perika and Noa, two brothers. They were expecting an attack from Ripa, a Chief of Hokianga. Ripa had made an unjust demand from the two Christian Chiefs, and on their refusal to comply with it he had marched to attack them. It was at this crisis that Mr. Davies

entered the Pa, and there he found them surrounded by their armed followers, engaged in solemn prayer-praying especially for the pardon of their enemies, with a white flag hoisted above their heads as a token of their desire for peace.

Mr. Davies then went out to meet Ripa and his party; and how striking was the contrast. With their bodies naked, and their faces painted red, they were listening to addresses urging them on to vengeance and slaughter. The addresses being ended, they rushed forward towards the Pa, yelling frightfully, and dancing their war dance, bidding bold defiance to the Christians. The Christians were assembled on the other side of the fence opposite the enemy, whilst one of the Christian Chiefs quietly walked up and down between the two parties, telling the enemy that they were acting contrary to the Word of God; and that his party, though not afraid of them, were restrained by the fear of God from attacking them. Ripa and his party only amounted to twenty, while the Christians were 100 strong. After many speeches had been made on both sides, one of Ripa's party, in striking at the fence with his hatchet, cut Noa on the head. This Christian Chief tried to conceal the wound from his tribe; but some of them saw, by the blood trickling down, that he was wounded, and instantly there was a simultaneous rush from the Pa, and every man's musket was levelled. In another moment Ripa and his whole party would have fallen; but Noa, the wounded Chief, sprang forward and exclaimed, "If you kill Ripa I shall die with him ;" and then throwing his own body as a shield over Ripa, saved him from destruction. Peace was then made between the two parties, and there was great rejoicing. "Some

years ago," adds Mr. Davies, "the very sight of blood would have been a signal for a dreadful slaughter."

This history cannot fail to bring to

mind the words, "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks; neither shall they learn war any more."

But we hasten to relate another anecdote.

On Christmas day 1846, there was a large assembly of Native Christians at Wanganui, in the Western District, to commemorate the Saviour's birth. The Morning Service began at eight o'clock; and in consequence of the numbers that were assembled, nearly 2000, it was held in a field adjoining the Mission Church, into which the pulpit was transferred. This large company was collected from all the various tribes which inhabit that part of the island, who but a few years ago could not have been induced to meet on any terms. The Rev. R. Taylor, the Missionary, preached to them; and the Lord's Supper was administered to 382 Communicants. On the next day, the Native Teachers assembled to hold, with their Missionary, a special prayermeeting, before they separated to return to their several Stations. At the conclusion of the prayer-meeting, four of the Teachers offered themselves as Missionaries to their heathen countrymen, especially to those at Taupo, who had long been their bitter enemies, and who were then meditating an attack upon the English. Two out of the four were accepted by the Missionary, and they were solemnly commended to the care of the Most High. On the 6th of February 1847, these two devoted men, Manihera and Kereopa, left on their Mission of love. They first visited the famous warrior Rangihaeata, in his strong hold: and endeavoured to persuade him to give up his aggressions upon the English, that war might cease among them. The old Chief replied to them by laying his hand edgewise on the back of his neck; thus intimating to them that they were in some danger of losing their lives: yet they pursued their journey, accom

panied by ten Christian Natives belong. ing to Taupo. The devoted little band had not proceeded far, when the foremost of them were fired upon by a party of the hostile tribe concealed in the bush; and Kereopa was shot dead upon the spot. The enemy then rushed upon Manihera, who had been severely wounded, and struck him several fatal blows upon his head with their hatchets. One of their ten Christian conductors was slightly wounded; but the others were at a little distance behind, and escaped unhurt. On their hastening up, the murderers made off. The Rev. T. Chapman writes ::---"Poor Manihera, upon the rest of his party reaching him, was tying his head, which was dreadfully cut, with a handkerchief. He gave his Testament to the Christian Native whose face had been grazed with a ball, telling him that his Testament was indeed great riches; and, shaking hands with all of them, as a mutual token of love one toward another, he leaned his head aside and died. No murmur escaped his lips. He died a Christian soldier, having his harness on, and prepared for the battle; and not less so his companions in arms and in death."

The Rev. R. Taylor observes,-"It was love for immortal souls which caused Manihera to offer himself, last Christmas, as a Missionary to his ancient enemies at Taupo. Poor fellow! Love to God and man beamed in his very countenance, and was manifested in all his actions. He has fallen in the good cause; and deep sorrow rests upon all the Christian natives for their loss."

At a large meeting of the Christian natives at Wanganui, held on occasion of this murder, several expressed their feelings with reference to it. One said,

fruit, which it sheds on every side around, causing a thick grove of young trees to spring up; so that, although | the parent tree may be cut down, its place is soon more than supplied by those which have proceeded from it." Another said. "Don't think about the bodies of our companions. Though they are decomposing among our enemies, yet their spirits are alive with God. I know what we should have done in former days; but what would be the good, if we were to fight? We should only increase our sorrow by multiplying the dead. Let us not fear those who can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Let us listen to our Minister, and take his advice." Another said, "The soldiers of the Queen perish, but the soldiers of Christ live for ever. Manihera is a true soldier of Christ." Another said,

Although these two are dead, we must not be discouraged, but send two more to preach the Gospel; and if they also are killed, we must send two more again; and if they perish we must keep supplying their places; and then, perhaps, our enemies will give in, and be converted."

We will conclude with a brief notice of the Otawao Station.

Otawao was first entered upon by our missionaries in 1834. An extract from a letter of the Rev. T. Morgan, dated 9th January, 1836, will help us, while we compare it with a communication just received, and dated 2nd January, 1849, to form some idea of the contrast between the past and the present. At the former date, the Missionary wrote, "We are surrounded by the habitations of cruelty, and the strongholds of native superstition. A chief belonging to this place, has recently been shamefully murdered and afterwards eaten at Rotorua. The people are expecting a vessel on the coast, from which they may have a supply of arms and ammunition, in exchange for flax; they will then proceed to seek payment (vengeance) for the death of

their friend." The Missionary's fears were too well grounded, and in his journal of 5th April, 1836, he thus describes their return from Rotorua after having wreaked vengeance on their enemy. "Dead to all feeling, the victors, holding by the hair, shook in our view the heads of their vanquished foes; directed our eyes to the bones and hands, which they were carrying in bundles on their backs; and offered us, for food, the flesh, the presence of which the abominable smell sufficiently disclosed. Oh! (added the Missionary), these are scenes that call forth prayer, and lead us to long for the termination of our warfare, and for that victory which shall be celebrated, not by blood, but the holy rejoicings of a holy people!"

The same Missionary writing of the natives of this same place, under date 2nd January, 1849, observes. "A very important change has taken place in respect to the civilization of the natives within the last three years. A general desire now exists among them, to rise as near as they can, to a level with Europeans. They now eagerly follow out any plans which tend to this end; and, as one tribe rises in the scale and reaps the benefit of this advanced state, surrounding tribes become anxious to follow the example. One fact will illustrate this. At the formation of this Station, I procured a number of choice fruit-trees, and instructed one of my teachers (having supplied him with wild stocks) how to bud and graft from my trees. He formed a small orchard, and this excited other natives to the same work; and now, in the proper season, many natives may be seen with their knives in their hands; and the wild peach (the only European fruit the natives possessed) is fast giving place to the worked peach, and apple, pear, almond, plum, damson, quince, and English gooseberry. Dozens of old peach trees have been cut down, and hundreds of young trees reared and worked from buds and scions, with

which I have supplied them." It is added, that at Otawao, the natives have procured the erection of a large watermill, at a cost to them of not less than £320. And while these facts shew the advance of these natives in civilization, the report that Mr. Maunsell, on his visit to Otawao last January, baptized eighty-three adults, and administered the Lord's supper to 153 native com

municants, marks their growth in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Oh! how transforming, how tranquillizing, the influence of the Gospel! What a privilege to be permitted, whether abroad as a missionary, or at home by prayer and contribution, or as a collector, to help forward so blessed a work.

SIR,

I read with great pleasure in the last number of your valuable Publication, a letter from a Clergyman, on establishing a Sick or Benefit Society for Sunday School Teachers. The subject has occupied my attention for many years past, and I am therefore encouraged to forward you my humble ideas in the hope that it will induce some one more capable than myself to carry into practice the object in view.

It has often been matter of surprise to me, that in these days of social improvement, when almost every class of society is providing, or attempting to provide for the contingencies which may arise, and for "the ills which flesh is heir to," that some one has not ventured upon the idea of establishing a society for the very large and increasing class of persons engaged in Sunday Schools connected with the Church of

England, and who from the very nature of their engagements are conscientiously precluded from those benefits and privileges in sickness, which working men generally avail themselves of. At the present time in this country, upwards of 500,000 persons belong to secret Benefit Societies. Various other benefit clubs exist containing equally large numbers. But where do these societies

meet, and how are they established? It is well known that the place of meeting is a public-house. The fact then is, that if the Sunday School Teacher is a provident man, and has a desire to make provision for sickness, or death, he has no other alternative than to subject himself to temptation from which he conscientiously shrinks. The very idea of a public-house with its smoke and drink and often obscene conversation, (although the members meet for what is termed benevolent purposes) is so repugnant to the feelings, and so contrary to the mind of a person of genuine piety, that however much he may desire to provide for casualities, he relinquishes all, rather than subject himself to such an annoyance. I am not desirous of depreciating the motives of those men who estab. lished these societies, I know a great deal of money has been dispensed to the sick, and to the widows and children of deceased members. I know that many hundreds of families in this metropolis have been kept from the moral degradation of a union workhouse, through the instrumentality of these secret societies, and knowing what temporal advantages may be derived by a small weekly contribution, I am desirous that an institution should be established for