Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-17
LETTER FROM NEW ZEALAND.



tlves, and we gladly reproduce It In
these columns:
wHASuARoA, Bay Of lslands. Now
Zealand, November n, 1901 again
take the pleasure OF ponnlug a few line.
10 arqualnt you with Tire various cif'
cumstances that have transpired Ia my
missionary experience since last
wrote.
perhap. q short description Of my
present surrounding will boot Interest.
We are located nj stock ranch about
halfway along what II known ~ the
Ninety-Mile Beach, ON the west coast
~ New Zealapd, and about seventy. |
Ave miles from the cxtrumc north cnd
VI In. Island. We arr Ia an Old tum'
ble.down house used by the nnchmcui |
who have kindly afforded w shelter
for the night, aud close TO IN. ocean.
Al the umc Of writing my last letter |
We were Just starting fof the lower
end VI our district whore We duly nr'
Rived. W. found the Saints pufsuing
the even teuor Of their way. We
found postal card FROM Brother Nye,
notifying us that President Binghnm
had arrived In his district, and that he
would like 10 meet u In the nuxt dis.
trict on the 18th " October, to plan Tor
n trip up north. The place Of meeting
T. about twenty miles from where we
were staying. On III morning 81 the
above dat. W. snddlod up and rode
,vcr 10 the meeting place, arriving
here about O'Clock. We were met
by Brother Hixson, who told Us TINT
brothers bingham and Nyo had been
called away, but would return on the
morrow. We made ourselves. comfort
nblc with the natives, holding our
evening meeting and engaged In such
.,licr conversation as II usual with the
Ms.tics. The following day Brothers
bingl.'u and Nye returned.
oy p", ,n. NV evening, Iser ETA, talking ing
made arrSSssmssta for The tflp north.
Leaving my eornpahlsn with Brother
Nye, Brother Brigha.i, Nye and
myself started the foilswing day,
October 3Dth. A. the joniucy was
quite long one, II was necrsaIy 10
have good horses, ~ my conpaIlions
borrowed two from the natives, while
I uscd one that had recently bought.
We were well equipped with blankets.
rain coats, hook sacks, etc. Leaving
the little village. we took u trail lead.
ing arrUs. symewhnt rugged county,
over hills and through small valleys.
= About noon we rode past q large
= ss~s~s,- Subscription in past agc,
must have been very great tho ground
Tor some miles around bcisR covered
with lava. In fact the whoie country
around seems TO he complete chain oil
volcanic mountains.
Proceeding further, we reached q
little valley where n stock raio was ~.
tug on the people for miles around
both Europeans aud Maoft-s, bring
their cattle, horses, shcsp, etc. 10 THU
point once n month aud CREST sale by
auction lakes place. IL put me ID
mind Of our old English market day.
w. rode down this valley for som,
distance, passing Though . sr.s,y Ian,
lined with shade tries snd N,ribbcr,
for about three mills; then we take t,
the hills Axsin, and iii tho dtreroc
situated upon ono or tho larry cftva
lions, We SIC the smoke arising nun
he chimney, Of large frame building
swned by small tribe Of natives. Al
We propose staying there for the nigh
we iurn our horses In that direction
aud In u little over an hour have dis
mounted and are saying greetings 4
the natives, who bid Us welcome {,
their Maori home. The house Is stu
ntcd on one Of tho most fertile spots o
the surrounding county and ia,
natives, fof many miles aIound, com,
here 10 plant their crop Of potatoes.
This gathering Is, indeed, n yer,
merry one. All hands Join In III,
isbor--mcn, women and childrea. Til,
heavy labor, such as preparing tn
soil, falls 10 the men, while tho SOW nj
~ done by the women and boys Ani
girls. younger children cut AM
carry the seed 10 those that plant
Many hands make light work, and tn
mlrth aud Iollity that are engaged II
make these planting- one Of the mos
enjoyable meetings they have. III
planting was Just over when We ~
rived nj tho village and the natives ma
returned To their several homes. Then
are some twenty or twenty. remain
ing who live at the house where "
were staying. The place fOrmerly OF
oipiel by them was regular rush hu
but owing 10 their chiei having die
therein, some few months uge, Il wa
burned, a custom always adhered 10 ID
this people, who will no longer rusid
IN u house where one VI their nunbp
has passed away This lumber hOut
=
feet 10y ~. The people have no iurn
tuTe, few mats, upon which 10 III o
lie down being all they need. In on
side VI the house is large chinhe
about : feet by 10, built after the raj
tern VI thoso used by the Europeans .
this country. This IL not only used a
place 10 10 tbe cooking, but rescryel
Tor the chief, IA II IL considered 10 b
the most desirable location for his he,
during tho cold weather. These chin
neyr have n little door ON one Alie
which serves as u means " ventilation
anu also M a convenient exit 10 Ia
rear part of the house. IL makes MI
ulreIenco 10 our reception whether Ia
saints arr ut home or not, ~ the out
tides here treat ~ Just a. kindly.
About IN hour after our arrival NJ
were called 10 supper and all NJ upol
the matt spread on the gruund flooI
lhe natives gathered around two larry
pans hllcd with potatoes and erls. x
usual We were provided with "A nan 4
ourselves, Feeling rather hungry Al
tor our ride, we Owed into the IA
hnd ate our frugal mtnl with "A, murl
rellsh hs though We had Leon h1rl
ana reared Maoris. In fact, our succe,
~ MAORI missionaries duppuds some
what upon our ability TO eat the foo
provided, 30 the natives say, ns tho
declare that unles. a person 'ps stroui
for food h. will not bc strong ia n,
quifo their language" II this w.r
the ease am sure have eaten enougl
hTeady 10 acquire half "a dozen lal
suSses' Alter supper We had pnyeI