Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-10-03
IN DISTANT NEW ZEALAND,
Interesting Letter from a YOun6 Elder
There on q Mission.
A rour over the Island. Hospitality
81 the People. sprinE - Just
OpeninE. The Riders Arc Doing q
food work.


A private letter from Elder Il. q
Hoagland, now on mission In New
Zealand, contains much that h inter
Getting Tor publication. The NEws u
permitted TO make this following
extracts.
CARrHRToS. New Zealand, Sept. Z,
1885, | have been here ga
the wAlrarapa valley oil my TINE
tlnce coming TO New Zealand. The
WairafapR district includes all OF the
Waifarapa valley; aud the valley
averages a width Of nearly ten mites
by sixty miles long, win the lower or
south end ending ~ Cooke strait
which n between the North and South
islands, Towards the lower end VI the
valley IL situated the beautiful
Walrarapa lake, which abOunls with
fsh OF different kinds, and great
many eels, which the natives are very
fond Of These are caught by the ton,
Ia large eel baskets, which arc placed
In the channel that conducts the water
10 the sea When the water II lot out In
tho winter.
After being on my mission for eight
months, 1 was called ~ preside over
the Wairafapa district by tho president
oft mission, Elder w. II. stewart.
Shortly after this call Elder Geo.
Bowlcs, who came direct from IlOni
Joined me as travelling Elder aud com
panion.
on the morning Of Aug, 9th Elder
BOwles aud / LEFT Gfeytown In small
European city 10 visit all the branches
Of the Church In the WalrarApa, Alter
ride Of 20 miles by horse We came 10
the native branch called Te Wailapu,
and on nearing the "Ia," wi.
lagol we were greeted by the
old sounds which arc familiar
70 New zoaland Elders. "rona korua,
hoa ma, haefe mai, haete mAi,h
(Good day, friends, come, oomtl).
After the usual greeting Of "hongii"
or nose rubbing, We turned our horses
In the paddock, aitor which We spent
the remainder OF the afternoon IN
talking with the native Saints. The
"pa" Is composed OF eight or ten
houses Quilt Maori.iashlonl with roofs
matched with long grass or straw and
bark sidewalks. On "A little rice few
rods east OF the "pa" stands the "whare
karakia" Tor meeting houtel, n neat
little church built by the natives (this
was built European eiylg) Tor the
Church OF England, Of which all
natives we're members at that time.
But when our Elders made an ap.
pcaranco In the Spa" anu preached the
GOSPEL Of Christ, the natives were cOn.
verified anu became members Of the
Church VI Jesus Christ alter baptism.
10 OF course the Church OF England
fsaNn IA L. al los
amongst this natives VI Te Maitapu.
We spent the evening Of the day OF
our arrival In holding "knfhkian
(pTayer me0ting) which IN held by
natives every morning aud evening,
aud consists of gs1ng, reading chap
ter from the Bible VI Book OF Mormon,
aud closes by prayer; lasting Tor about
twenty minutes.
Tue following day, Aug. s5th, We
continued on ~ hohunui, "a village Of
twenty-five native SAINT, ana which
Il the home OF Piripi To Mari, Que o
the most Influential Maori chiefs on
tho Island, and also one Of cur best
saints. We were warmly greeted by
them and shown 20 our room, az they
call II, n room fitted up for the Eldufs
ia European style. We remained here
over Sunday Rud hold sunday School,
reading from tho nrst chapter OF tue
Book OF Mormon (tho Father OF
Moronl. We hold sacrament moetli
at $3.50 y. M, Elder Bow Ice ami my
eelt Administering II. Elder Bowts
then spoke ON the personality Of tho
Godhvad, aud referred 10 tho Bible 10
Hutstautiate his words, closing by on.
c0utaging tho Saints 10 press on Ia
their good works. l followed, speak.
ing ON the Gospel ana lie powcrs, 70.
iefiug 10 Paupa words, Romans 1, 10
~; also that there was only one laith
lohurchl Ephe,ians, ". 8, ani 10 The
words VI Jesus, John y, o. Pirpl re
MaArl followed, speaking On sac.
fament ami It's institution by the
Savior
sunday evening we spent telling
tho natives Of the dedication VI tue
great Salt Lake Temple and ttanslEt-
ing to them the dedioAtoty prayer As
offered by President Woodruff. The
natives were much pleased and asked
usa great many qutsti0us on the same.
On awakening from our slumbers
on Monday, the sSlh, We bVneld
beautiful spring morning AMI birdie
ringing Hweetly. After breakfast We
look "a ride 10 the Hoa beach At Cooks
Strait to gather sea SHELLS, aud after
remaining hero iof few houp, We
commences our return 10 Kohumu.
On passing through Tumnganul, a
small Maori village, we were hailed by
native woman, saying elena kofua 4
hoa ma, hserr mai maua WHARF ki t.
kali" good day, frieudt, come into
our house anu have something o.
ehtl. We gladly complied ~
We were quite hungry after our
DAYS ride. Alter eating aud
IN king with the natives awhile twLu
were Saiutsl we continued on 90