Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-21
Amasing Isctdent fn the Life of n
New Zealand HIirsionnry - An
Encounter with a Naked Savage

The English papers report the death of a
character who, with all his faults, must be
regarded as q great man, singularly suited
to the wants of the country, for long
time the leader of the mission, and through
whose spirit of enterprise it mainly was
sionaries. Henry Williams, late Arch
deacon. of Paihai. was originally an officer
in her Msjesty's service, and occupied the
post of lieutenant on board the Thames
He devoted his life to the cannibal barba-
rians of New Zealand, where he landed in
1923. Other missionaries had been before
Henry Williams, but from this time the
mission assumed the aspect of consolida-
ted and steadily advancing work. His skill
in navigation, his GOODNESS, and his courage
enabled him to visit in his boat all parts of
the island. Wherever a war was, there he
was found In the midst of the hostile par
ties, allaying their resentment and promo
hend Christianity, but they felt that there
must be something noble in those infiuen-
ces that could impel those men to
undertake those journeys and endure
such hardships for their good. The
name of ssmissionary" because the most
honest III the land, and deputations were
received from all parts of Paihai to beg for
one of these teachers. This point how
ever, was not reached without great strug-
giles, and the little bark seemed often on
the point of laundering amid the. angry
elements. Neither were their troubles OF
one kind. At one time attempt would be
made to starve them into the consent to
barter powder and gums for food; at an
other time the victors at some local con-
flict would rush upon the mission station
and sweep Of their goods as spoil; and at
another time some imaginary affront
would bring down band of naked saw
ages upon the nnsuspecting settlement. To
protect themselves in some way, and to
keep abody of disciples around them, the
disposed to live in the settlement, and these
people assumed the appcllation of "wlare
kura' (<chool house.) These men were
most useful and faithful, and mapfully
withstood their own relatives when they
made descent for plunder. On one occa-
sien the missionary, in the middle of his
sermon on the Sunday, had to throw of his
ton to rescue his goods, which were being
swept away by a'.tan"-hOstile band. Many
and amusing we're the scenes which on
these occasions occurred. Tohitapu.a naked
savage, bedaubed with red ochre, encoun-
tered Henry Williams in the attack Just re-
ferred to. Henry was then in the vigor of
manhood, and possessed-what in those
days was of the utmost Importance to a
. missi0nary-great physical power. Tohi's
object was to carry off his spoil, Henry 8
to eject him from the inclosure without
hurt or any sign of blood-the sure signal
of q deadly assault. 1t was therefore, case
OF wrestling and dragging, and the endur-
snce and power Of the European prevailed.
On another occasion, q native had made his
way into the missionary's bedroom, and
was Fastening away with blanket, when
his wife, coming out Of another door, espied
him. She rushed after him, caught him by
his long hair, shut to the door--herself at
one side, the native at the other-and held
him there until her husband, also power
full man, came and elected him by the same
process. These are tneir athletic triuml b {.
Instances of the reverse, however. are not
few, and we could tell of the missionary's
teeth being knocked in with blow of the
fist for having rashly walked across wahi
tapa (sacred place., OF another tripped up
and laid on the fiat of his back, and of a
third, whose goods he had produced for
barter-for food only could be obtained
by barter in those days-taken away by
violence and be left alone with his energet-
ic remonstrances. Redress was out of the
question. Ii was rough work and the men
were equal to it. Henry Williams laughed
at dangers and despised hardships. 1t was
nothing to him to wander for three months
at time in the boat on expeditions with
those wild men till at last "Karawha" (four.
eyee)-the name given because of his spec
tacles-was known In every part of the is
land.
As might be expected from his previous
life, he was not a scholar, and troubled
himself little with books. Before the ad-
vent also of the settler his light paled. In
the controversies of those early days it is
not now the fit time to enter. The same
dogged, independent spirit reigned con-
spicuously throughout, and there are few
now who will not admit that if he brought
down upon himself the i'll opinion of the
colonists, it was because of the strong rul-
ing love for the race for whom he had done
and suffered SO much. He departed this
life In peace, on the 10Th of July, at the
ripe age Of seventy-five years. So deep was
the respect in which he was held by the
natives, that the contending "bapus," at
Walmate, agreed to suspend hostilities
until after the burial of the venerable mis-
sionary.
80 An ignoramus had been sick, and on re-
rOvarin0. was told bv the doctor fbot = -