The weekly union record., 1865-09-16
Fearful Atrocities in New Zealand.

1 oor uttic HuS> III ouo's
Fearful Atrocities in New Zealand.
Late news received flom New ZeaaDd is OF
most gloomy character. Despite the mill
tary force in the island. active operations re-
main suspended ; and, worse than all, the Pal
Mariri superstition spreading among the loyal
natives as well as the rebel, melting the latter
to acts of fearful a,rocity. Christianity, it
was hoped, had changed the nature of a peo-
pie whom it found thirty years ago race OF
caDnibals; but it now appears that war has
aroused the latent evil passions of the savage,
Numbers of the Maories are daily returning
to their former state, renouncing their religion
and adopting one which ereathes nothing but
destruction to the white man. The end it is
impossible 10 conjecture. Painful excitement
has been caused by tragedy on the east
coast, at little settlement called Opotki.
The Rev. Carl Sylvius Volkner, a clergyman
of the Church OF England whose kind and
social manners and Christian simplicity Of
heart eudeared him to all, had been located
there some four yeaas. He left Auckland for
his home on the 26;h of February, in the
schooner Eclipse accompanied by the Rev.
Mr.. Grace As soon as the schooner arrived
she was seized by the natives, who had been
converted to the new superstition by one OF
the parties the Taraniki fauatics have dis
patched to traverse the island, carrying with
them mounted on poles, the dried heads of
murdered Englishmen. The natives. who had
sworn to murder every clergyman and every
soldier they could capture, lodged Messrs.
Grace and Volkner in a WHARF, but promised
the master of the schooner that neither be nor
his brother, who keeps store at Opotiki,
should be touched, inasmuch as they were
Jews. Mr.. Levy, the master, offered the
schooner and cargo, and all the cattle and
goods 10 the settlement. as a ransom for the
prisoners, and at first the Maories agreed to
accept these terms. Later on, however, Mr..
to die. He begged for FIVE minutes TO pray /;
but while he was kneeling, Offering his last
supplications, rope was passed round his
neck and be was hauled up to the limb of
tree, in sight of the church he had so long
miuistered in. The body was lowered before
life was extinct and as it came down a Maori
ripped open the bowels, tore them out, and
threw them them to the dogs. Then the heart
was torn out and handed round as many na
uves as could, cutting off small pieces and de-
vourng them. The head was severed from
the trunk, and was carried round by the priest,
the natives standing with upturned faces and
gaping lips to catch the blood which tricked
from it. The chief of the Taraniki party took
out the eyes with his fingers. aud ate them be-
fore the crowd. which numbered some 500
persons. The head was then set on pole aud
given to q captive soldier to carry; aud the
body, after being tossed to the dogs, was con
temptuously thrown into water closet
Grace, for whose release Mr.. Levy offered
81 900, was informed that he would be taken
round the country with the soldier, aud ulii.
mately killed as bis companion had been; but
the Levys we're given liberty to leave. with
their vessel, 10 ten days. As the wind how
ever, was then foul, the schooner anchored in
side the bar. In the meantime intelligence Of
the atrocity had reached Auckland, and Ii.
N. S. Eclipse. with Bishop Selwyn on board,
was dispatched to see if the survivors conld be
rescued When the vessel was seen off the
bar, the natives held meeting to decide as to
their course of action. Levy having commu
nicated With the steamer, returned to land and
finding the village deserted by the men, hud-
died Mr. Grace into a canoe, and padded
down to the anchorage, and, though fred upon
by the Maories when the alarm was given, eff
fected his escape. His vessel was then cut out
by boats from the man of-war, but the eDraged
Saories broke open and plundered his store.
Mr.. Grace's escape was marvellous, and was
entirely due to the wit and courage Of Mr.
Levy, whom the Maories, fortunately did not
suspect. The fanatics are DOW marching thro'
the district in which Bishop Williams has set
tied. Here the natives have hitherto been
loyal, and the Bishop is still confident in their
good faith; but at Auckland bis position is
considered most precarious. A whale boat
has been dispatched down the east coast, to
warm the outlying settlers of their danger.
ORIGIN OF THE BoSxET-The first bonnet
rnrn in Enuland was hrnnrhf frnn Ifalu In the |