THE ENTERPRISE.
(1813-1815).
Was it not great? Did not he throw on God
(He loves the burthen)
God's task to make the heavenly period
Perfect the earthen?
--_R. Browning._
The fourth year of waiting brought signs of approaching change. The
Society at home, encouraged by Marsden's hopeful letters, sent out
another catechist, Thomas Kendall. They were less sure of him than of
King and Hall, but he pleaded earnestly to be sent, and, being a
schoolmaster, he was a man of more education than the two others. During
the last days of the year 1813, Marsden organised an influential meeting
in Sydney, and succeeded in carrying fifteen resolutions in favour of a
forward movement. Armed with these he again approached the Governor, who
reluctantly consented to allow the missionaries to make a trial visit to
New Zealand if a captain could be found sufficiently courageous to take
them. The shipping problem was indeed a great difficulty, but Marsden at
last overcame it by buying a vessel with money which he raised on the
security of his farm. The _Active_ was a brig of 110 tons, and claims
the honour of being the first missionary craft of modern times.
Hall and Kendall were the men chosen for the preliminary visit. They
were instructed to open up communication with Ruatara, and, if possible,
to bring him back with them to Sydney. With good supply of articles for
trade and for presents they set sail on the 4th of March, and arrived
safely at the Bay of Islands. Here they were welcomed by the faithful
Ruatara, to whom they presented a small hand-mill as a gift from his
friend at Parramatta. This machine played its part in preparing the way
for the mission. Ruatara's wheat had long been harvested, but his
neighbours were still sceptical as to the possibility of converting it
into bread. While this doubt remained, Ruatara's words carried little
weight. In vain did the poor Maori try one expedient after another; in
vain did he send appeals to Marsden. His own efforts always failed; his
benefactor's gifts never reached him. But now the situation was changed.
The mill was at once charged with New Zealand grown wheat; eager eyes
watched the mealy stream issuing from beneath; a cake was quickly made
and cooked; and all incredulity was at an end. Several chiefs
volunteered to accompany Ruatara to Sydney, and the _Active_ reached
that port on August 22nd, after a thoroughly successful voyage.
The Governor could no longer withhold his consent to the enterprise, and
Marsden was granted leave of absence for four months from his duties at
Parramatta.
Before starting for New Zealand he spent three busy months in
preparation. The mission was to take the form of a "settlement," and the
missionaries were to be "settlers" as well as catechists. The _Active_
was loaded with all that was necessary for this object, and in the words
of Mr. Nicholas, who accompanied the expedition as a friend, it "bore a
perfect resemblance to Noah's Ark." The resemblance was indeed a close
one. The vessel carried horses and cattle, sheep and pigs, goats and
poultry; Maori chiefs and convict servants; the three missionaries with
their wives and children; while the place of the patriarch was filled by
Samuel Marsden himself, who, like Noah, had been "warned of God of
things not seen as yet," had laboured on amidst the incredulity of his
neighbours, and now bore with him the seeds of a new world. Stormy
weather delayed the progress of the brig and brought much misery to
those on board. Three weeks passed before the New Zealand coast was
sighted, but Saturday, December 17th, brought the travellers opposite to
Tasman's "Three Kings," and on the following Tuesday they were off the
harbour of Whangaroa, where the remains of the _Boyd_ still lay. The
brig did not enter this dreaded haven, but, seeing an armed force on the
coast to the south, Marsden resolved to land and to attempt to
conciliate these hostile people. Ruatara and Hongi acted as
intermediaries, and friendly relations were soon established between the
missionaries and the cannibals. Marsden and his companion even spent the
night with the savages, sleeping among them without fear under the
starlit sky.
Two days later the expedition reached its destination, and the _Active_
cast anchor off the Bay of Rangihoua. From her deck the mission families
could now gaze upon the scene of their future home. The bracken and
manuka with which the farther slopes were clad might remind them of the
fern and heather of old England, but their gaze would be chiefly
attracted to an isolated hill of no great height which rose steeply from
the sea on the left side of the little bay. To this hill had come the
remnant of Te Pahi's people after the slaughter on the island, and it
was now crowned with a strongly fortified _pa_. Ruatara's residence was
on the highest point; around it were crowded about fifty other
dwellings; outside the mighty palisade neat plantations of potatoes and
kumaras seemed to hang down the steep declivity; an outer rampart
encircled the whole. At sight of the vessel the inhabitants rushed down
to the beach with cries of welcome, and greeted Marsden, on his landing,
with affectionate regard. He seemed to be no stranger among them, for
his name and his fame were familiar to all. The horses and cows caused a
temporary panic among people who had never seen animals so large
before, but fear soon gave way to admiration and a general sense of
excited expectancy.
Ruatara's home-coming was not free from pain to himself. Misconduct had
occurred in his household during his absence, and the next morning was
occupied with a trial for adultery. The case was referred to Marsden,
who advised the application of the lash to the male offender. Thirty
strokes were given, and the honour of the chief was vindicated. Next
morning (Saturday) he treated his guests to a scene of mimic warfare.
Led by himself and Korokoro, four hundred warriors in all the pomp of
paint and feathers rehearsed the details of a naval engagement. The
brandished spears and blood-curdling yells brought forcibly to the
imagination of the white men the perils which might be in store for
them, but as the day wore on the arts of war were succeeded by
preparations for the preaching of the Gospel of peace. Ruatara caused
about half an acre of land by the Oihi beach to be fenced in; within
this area he improvised some rough seats with planks and an upturned
boat; in a convenient spot he erected a reading desk and pulpit which he
draped with black native cloth, and with white duck which he had brought
from Sydney; on the top of the hill he reared a flagstaff; and thus
prepared his church for the coming festival.
The account of that Christmas Day of 1814 must be given in Marsden's own
words, which have already attained a classical celebrity:
"On Sunday morning when I was upon deck, I saw the English flag flying,
which was a pleasing sight in New Zealand. I considered it as the signal
and the dawn of civilisation, liberty, and religion in a benighted land.
I never viewed the British colours with more gratification, and
flattered myself they would never be removed till the natives of that
island enjoyed all the happiness of British subjects.
"About ten o'clock we prepared to go ashore, to publish for the first
time the glad tidings of the Gospel. I was under no apprehensions for
the safety of the vessel, and therefore ordered all on board to go on
shore to attend divine service, except the master and one man. When we
landed we found Korokoro, Ruatara, and Hongi dressed in regimentals
which Governor Macquarie had given them, with their men drawn up ready
to be marched into the enclosure to attend divine service. They had
swords by their sides, and switches in their hands. We entered the
enclosure, and were placed on the seats on each side of the pulpit.
Korokoro marched his men and placed them on my right hand, in the rear
of the Europeans; and Ruatara placed his men on the left. The
inhabitants of the town, with the women and children and a number of
other chiefs, formed a circle round the whole. A very solemn silence
prevailed: the sight was truly impressive. I rose up and began the
service with singing the Old Hundredth Psalm, and felt my very soul melt
within me when I viewed my congregation and considered the state they
were in. After reading the service, during which the natives stood up
and sat down at the signals given by Korokoro's switch, which was
regulated by the movements of the Europeans, it being Christmas Day, I
preached from the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, and tenth verse,
'Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy,' etc. The natives told
Ruatara that they could not understand what I meant. He replied that
they were not to mind that now, for they would understand by and by, and
that he would explain my meaning as far as he could. When I had done
preaching, he informed them what I had been talking about. Ruatara was
very much pleased that he had been able to make all necessary
preparations for the performance of divine worship in so short a time,
and we felt much obliged to him for his attention. He was extremely
anxious to convince us that he would do everything in his power, and
that the good of his country was his principal consideration. In this
manner the Gospel has been introduced into New Zealand, and I fervently
pray that the glory of it may never depart from its inhabitants till
time shall be no more."
For the moment it seemed as though Marsden's congregation had not been
very deeply impressed. Three or four hundred natives (says Nicholas)
began a furious war-dance, apparently to express gratitude and
appreciation. With conflicting feelings the missionaries at length
withdrew to their ship, and there, in the evening, Marsden "administered
the Holy Sacrament in remembrance of our Saviour's birth and what He had
done and suffered for us."
What would be the reflections of this far-sighted man as he lay in his
berth that summer night? Fresh from the scene of the _Boyd_ tragedy, and
in the very presence of Te Pahi's desolated citadel, he had ventured to
take up the angels' song of peace on earth, goodwill to men. He might
perhaps have drawn some hope from the peace which the world at large was
then enjoying after years of desperate strife. Napoleon was a prisoner
in Elba, and the dogs of war were chained. But a few more months would
bring another outburst and the awful carnage of Waterloo. So would it be
in New Zealand also, and its Napoleon was a small quiet man who stood
listening thoughtfully on that Christmas Day to Marsden's message of
peace.
The planting of the settlement occupied the next fortnight. By the
second Sunday in the new year a large building was sufficiently advanced
to serve as a church. In a few days more this was divided into separate
apartments for the residence of the mission families.
Marsden was now at liberty to think of certain subordinate objects of
his visit--exploration and trade. In obedience to the Governor's
instructions, he took his brig on an exploring tour down the Hauraki
Gulf. On his return he had the vessel loaded with timber and flax for
conveyance to New South Wales. The expedition had, of course, been an
expensive matter, and it must be remembered that he had strained his own
private resources to provide means for its equipment. He had all along
looked to recoup himself for some of his outlay by a trade in logs and
spars. By the middle of February the vessel had received her cargo, the
missionaries were settling down in their new home, and his leave of
absence was nearing its expiration. But before he set sail two duties
claimed his attention. A child had been born to Mr. and Mrs. King, and
Marsden determined to make the first administration of Holy Baptism in
this heathen land as impressive as possible. The infant was brought out
into the open air. Many of the Maoris as well as the white folk stood
around while the little one was solemnly admitted into the congregation
of Christ's flock.
The other duty was less pleasant, and called for all the missionary's
skill and resource. Poor Ruatara had fallen ill in the hour of his
triumph--a victim, it would seem, to his admiration for the white man's
ways. At the service on Sunday, February 12th, he had been present in
European clothes, which had set off to advantage his manly form and
European-like features. The day was rainy, and probably he had gone home
in his wet clothes and thus contracted pneumonia. On the next day he was
suffering from a chill and fever which defied the kindly attentions of
Nicholas, who visited him daily until the _tohunga_ forbad his
admission. When Marsden returned from his trading enterprise he could
only force an entrance by threatening to bombard the town with the
ship's guns. The invalid seemed grateful for his visit and rallied for a
little time, but as soon as Marsden sailed for Australia he grew rapidly
worse. On the third day he was carried from his home and deposited on
the top of a bare hill to await his end. Ruatara has been often compared
with the Russian Peter, and like him he had purposed to build a new town
in which he could carry out the ideas he had gained abroad. It was to
the site of this projected metropolis that he was now borne, and it was
there that, after death, his body was laid on a stage erected for the
purpose. To complete the tragedy the same stage received the remains of
his favourite wife, who hung herself out of grief at her loss.
In spite of this noble Maori's enlightened efforts for the civilisation
of his countrymen, his mind seems to have been not wholly without
misgiving as to the possible consequences of his policy. He could not
altogether throw off the suggestions of the reactionary party, that the
coming of the white man would eventually lead to the slavery and
dispossession of the Maori. Could he look down from his lofty eminence
now that a century has passed, what would be his thoughts? He would see
his countrymen still residing on their own lands, their children
carefully taught, their houses fitted with mechanical appliances which
would have surprised even Marsden himself. But, on the other hand, the
crowded _pas_ and the vigorous life have passed away. Instead of the
long canoe with its stalwart tatooed rowers, he would see perhaps a
small motor-boat with one half-caste engineer. As for his "town of
Rangihoo," he would see no trace of its existence. Maori dwellings,
mission-station--all are gone. Nothing now remains to show that man has
ever occupied the spot, save the rose-covered graves of one or two of
the original "settlers," and the lofty stone cross which marks the place
where Christ was first preached on New Zealand soil.