§ 12. Of the peculiar Hindrances to the Progress of the Work.

Here, I think, I should briefly mention the hindrances or obstacles in the way of carrying on this important work; for unless I do so, such would not be known, nor even guessed at. These were many, and may be classed under three main heads; viz. (1) on the side of the Editor: (2) on the side of the Press and Printer: (3) Sundry.

I. Those on the side of the Editor, were:—(1) His own heavy and constant daily public duties, besides those appertaining to his own growing family, arising from his being the only Clergyman at that Station, and indeed in the whole North inland District, extending from Mangakahia on the South to Kaitaia page 14 the most Northern Station: (2) from his being the Master and the only Teacher in the Mission Boarding-school for boys: (3) from his being the only resident Doctor and Surgeon in those parts: and (4) from his residing so far away from the Press, with which he could only have distant, precarious and irregular communication,—scarcely on the average of once a fortnight; and then only by special messenger, and not unfrequently at some risk.—

II. Those on the side of the Printer and the Press.—These were also manifold, heavy and unceasing. For, in addition to those of his own separate department of the Printing-office and Binding room, (in two houses far apart,)—all of which had to be performed by him alone; there were the common daily public duties of the Mission Station, of which he had to bear his share. The rule of the station was, that out of the three resident Missionaries, comprising the Rev. H. Williams and Messrs C. Baker and W. Colenso, one was always to remain at the Station; this was absolutely necessary on account of visitors, both Maori and settlers in the Bay, and also foreigners from ships at anchor; and my own particular duty in the Printing-office confining me at the Station during week-days, a larger share of the home or Station duties frequently devolved on me. Besides I alone had the charge of the Surgery, the attending to patients, and the making-up and issuing of Medicines; occasionally informing Rev. W. Williams of severe and peculiar cases for my guidance. My daily week-day duty commenced with early morning Maori prayers in the chapel, and adult male school in the open air in its grounds when fine, when showery in the chapel, and the keeping the roll and books of the School; that over, to return to my house and prepare and get my breakfast, and then to the Printing-office or Binding-room according to what work might be; in hand. Then there was the warehousing work, (viz. the receiving of paper and other printing stores, the packing and sending off of books &c., to the different Mission Stations,) also; the keeping of the accounts of the Printing-office, both for receipt) and expenditure of material and money, including periodical] returns both for the Committee of Missionaries in New Zealand and for the Parent Society; and not unfrequently the tiresome jobs of bartering with the Maoris, for potatoes and other edible-roots, maize, pigs, fish &c., &c., which necessarily took up a great page 15 deal of time, so much of it being new to me! and the Maoris utterly regardless of the value or the waste of time; and also twice a week attending to the delivery of rations, and many other necessary and common things in daily use: the "rations" included the cutting-up and weighing out of pigs (pork), weighing out of potatoes, flour, rice, &c., &c., for the Mission families and the inmates of the European Girls' Boarding-school (approaching 50 persons^*), also for all the Maori domestics and workmen of the Station, in number about another 50. This work, however, for some time, was mainly undertaken by Mr. Baker when at home and well, before that he removed to Waikare Station. Of course there was also the cooking to be attended to,—another heavy item with me, as it included the making of bread; (no Bakers, nor Butchers either, then in the land!) this was mostly done by me on Saturday afternoons. The having to go to-and-fro so very often daily, from my dwelling-house to the Printing-office, situate far apart, was another item causing great loss of time,—to say the least of it. Then, at night, was the learning the language, &c., &c., mainly, if not only, to be obtained from oral intercourse with the Maoris.

Sundays, also, were my heavy days of work; on these there was no rest for me. Indeed my duties on Sundays were generally heavier than on weekdays; whether it was my turn to remain at the Station—to hold Divine Services there, or to go out to the Maori villages to do so. If at the Station,—then there were invariably (weather permitting) four or five Church-of-England services; four at the Mission Station, viz. two in Maori, early morning and evening, and two in English at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., which several of the more respectable English settlers residing on the opposite shore of the Bay, together with the British Resident (Mr James Busby) his lady and family usually attended weather permitting, and frequently captains or officers and a few men from ships; and, also, at 2 p.m., at Kororareka (now Russell) on the opposite shore of the harbour, to which place we always went in our boats, the only mode of communication; usually the Missionary who had taken the two morning services at the Station had to cross over to Kororareka and take the two afternoon Services there, (one in English and one in Maori,)

^* Both of the two senior resident Missionaries had very large families, nearly one dozen of children in each.

page 16 besides visiting the sick Maoris, &c., and then late in the evening take the Station Maori Service on his return, (this last often performed in excessive weariness!) If away from the Station,—at Kawakawa, or at Waikare, (or at some of the other Maori villages on the shores of the Bay,) then in order to get there in time and with the tide, (always some hours pull or sail,) I often had to leave the Mission Station by sunrise, or earlier, and return at 8 or 9 p.m., hungry and completely worn out! and that partly through travelling some miles over hilly country on foot, after landing from my boat, to get to the Maoris at their several villages: sometimes, when wind or tide or both against us, I have not been able to get back to the Station till midnight, or early morning, after pulling perhaps six or seven hours!—I ought not to omit to mention the good praiseworthy conduct of my young Maori rowers, &c., at such times of trial; but in order to obtain it, or to keep it up, one must ever be in a good humour I at such seasons not always an easy matter.

III. Sundry:—To those already mentioned must also be added certain abrupt obstacles of another kind, often of a very serious nature, which could neither be foreseen or provided for as, for instance:—

1.	The state of the weather; for if wet, (heavy rain which sometimes lasted two or three days,) especially in winter,—the young Maori messenger could not well perform the journey on foot, whether to or from Te Waimate; besides we all knew, from sad experience, that the Maoris were careless and prone to sleep in their wet clothing, especially when tired and in a strange! place, which frequently ended in consumption. And just so it; was for a few days after heavy rain, as the big river Waiaruhe would then be flooded and impassable at the only landing-place, its current too, at such times being very strong: Europeans have been drowned there.*
2.	The dislike Maoris always had to travel alone to any distance. This was a national feeling and not to be wondered at nor trifled with. At the same time they frequently paddled singly in their small canoes many miles up and down the rivers and estuaries of the Bay, when they could see around them for some distance and so be free from surprises. We generally had * See Note F, Appendix. page 17 a pretty large number of Maoris dwelling with us at the Mission Station, but most of them (sometimes all) had come thither from other and distant tribes to be taught in our schools; and these grangers could not be sent on any such journeys, over the lands &c., of other tribes, who might have been their deadly enemies in the past, or have some grudge still unavenged; neither could they have been induced to go.
3.	The uncertain capriciousness of the Maoris (in those days), rarely ever to be depended on for coming at the time appointed; Use one engaged as a messenger being continually liable to be tailed away, or to turn aside, or to loiter, and be almost sure, after he had arrived at the place to which he was sent, and delivered his packet, to want to rest for a few days, or to visit some relative or clansman in the neighbourhood, where he would while away two or three days or more; indeed, to do so, would often be the real ground of his going as a messenger.
4.	The interruption occasioned by travelling or voyaging parties of Maoris coming peacefully or otherwise to the Station, and which for the time upset, or put a stop to, all regular occupation;* not unfrequently causing the Missionaries and their Maori residents and domestics to be on the qui vive! Here, also, must be placed the interruptions caused by unexpected European visitors,—as by the Captains and officers of Ships of war; the last visit to the Station and New Zealand of the Rev. S. Marsden and his suite, &c., &c.†
5.	Also, in stormy weather, the hauling up of all our boats and canoes on to the high bank above the sea-beach as a place of safety; and, again, the saving of the few head of cattle belonging to the Station from being lost in the neighbouring swamps, into which they sometimes ventured in quest of food, and could not intricate themselves.
6.	And lastly, during the year 1837, great and serious and long-continued hindrances arose, owing to the Ngapuhi tribes in the Bay of Islands fighting among themselves; this was their last battle—or series of battles, for it continued several months, during which many on both sides were killed and wounded.‡ Of course this sad unsettled hostile state of things proved to be a great hindrance to any communication by a single Maori messenger between the two Mission Stations.