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Show NOTES OF "Hill TAD." Strange Sights and Scents at a Maori "Tang!." sKVKsrn 11 iy .tnvmisrs jitur. Toitn and Harbor or .Napier. "Wiio'a on tho W1' Mile, W In) I" After Conference, CorrfiiMuViiel ilittrtl Ami, 1'oitlitUA, Now ZIaud, April ID, 189S. T(in nnniul conlcrence, or Hul Tau, at To llaukr, New Zealand, waa generally uintldered one uf the best ever held In Maoildoui, Tim little Maori vlllajo designated as tho scene of the conference Is lu.itinlly situated In an open valley about twenty. (lvo miles weal of Napier. In the eaily scltlemriit of Xov Zsalnud, many sanguine conflict! look plaoa lu tho vlciully,bettt oeu the natives aud Kuio (nans, and near the village may be sin the rulna of an old fori, which wis afterwards converted Into n graveyard, A largo number uf mou .Us with I ro. ken lieu 1-boarda atlll remain vlall ,u to tell the alory of tho gallant aoldlera who fell In those memorable dajs. Hundreds 01 Maorh from all farts of New Zealand assembled nt 'le iUuku neatly u week prltr to tho time of coif feiencu. Muuy wero nou-membeia of IhoUhurch, aud all had Ueu Invlltd by tome of thu uon-Mormou residents to paulclpito In n Maori "laugl," 'Ihls Is one of thu most ancient cut. tonit of tho natives, and In olden times waa attended with much suUerlug und barbarity. It la atlll cuilomary to pre.' paregieiti feasts on these occasion, and ollnn about $101)0 Is expended In irovldlngforlhu niuitltudu thut usually usu-ally utteudr. A Maori "langl" may appropriately be termed a lament for Hie honored dead. Is Is not con lined to the llino of thu decease uf u distinguished relative rela-tive or lileiid, hut may bu rc oiled n often at the surviving members of tho tribe oeslre, und will aimellrnes last soriral weeks. Tribes nio occasionally ulinni liii) verlshed by inch prolonged featllug. Vlsltura nro lecilved Willi crksol welcome, and llio Maori women will go lulili tu meut thu comiuuy, wllh wrtalhs of green vine Ictivea upon their lua is, sluglug or chauilnglhelr "line o ma -." (I uujiI) On nuuiilug tho v lls,e ttio women foim a semi-eiule semi-eiule nuu ut unco lommeuut their mourning or walling. A stooping mil, lude Is assumed, and the teara How coplouily, lulling to the ground like drool rain. Tne piteous dlrge-llto wall Ip, at limes, almost heailrciidlug. Meanllme occasional exelimatlouaof sorrow for the departed nro uttered by nome member of the comiuny, and often the wteplug nuj walling will continue for hours. This la undoubteJIy un ancient Israelltlsh custom and Is fitly ditcrlhed by Jeremiah: "Call for the mourning women that they may come, and let them mako battuunl take up a wall, lug for in, that our ryta may run down with (tiara und our eyelldaguib out wllh waters." A few yearo ago, however, tho mourners would be more desperately demonstrative. Thu women woull aueinble, attired only lu a skirl, uud many of them armed with sharp Hint Instruments, made of shark'a teeth, or hardshell, though often contenting Ihemselvea with n piece of volcanic glass. Alter walling nud crying for it short time, the lompjny would be worked luto a statu of Irenzy. Thu moaning wiuld glvu place to loud screaming, ncoompanled ty frautlo gestures nnd ijulterlug oimtretolied nrmt and hands, uud occsniounlly, while singing or howling, the women woulJ druw the sharp Instruments acn-ta tho breasts, or down thu urms, ucd ut times dowu Ihe face, each cut causing the blood to llow coplouily. Often Ihe poar croatures Would be almost coverol with lirge cloU of ccajuhted blood, making them tad and hideous oljects liidted. Huch scenes are seldom hturd of now, uud Ihlt relloof barlurlly It dltappearing, us the natives begin to tiudentaud the old Moialo lw: "Yo shall nut make any cutting III your flesh for the dead, nor inlut any marks upon you; I am the Lord," (Lev. xlx: US,) t'rlor tu the opening of Ihe conference confer-ence about twelve uf the Klderatook train for Nupler, In order t visit the llltlusrapuil on the oast coast. Un leaving the atattnnn large number of tents were observed, und over the festooned gateway leudlug Into Ihe umiaru were observed the words, "Welcomil 8. D, Adventlal Camp Meeting." Tne conference uf this re. Ilgioui lody was drawlug to a close, but the Klders look seats In the large tent aud listened attentively to thu proceeding!. On Itarulug that tho vliltora wore Mormon Klders engaged In spreading the Uorpel among the Maoris, a rt, iUeet wai made that tome of the mini, ber nddress Ihe conference, which was readily compiled wllh. Afttr a short intermission LUtir W. T. Hlewsrt, preildeulof the Australasian mission, guveucouclie aketch of the work of Ihe iUders during thu past eight yeurs, uud ulso niiswered many question re. Istlng lo Maori customs, habits, etc. KUcr 1). U idJard also leitlfled to the succeianttendliig thu faithful labor of tlici-ervunlsuf Uod nud showed how lesioDaoteohrltty nnd obnstlty weru taught to the people. Much interest was manifested durlugtheee addruser, and nfter meeting tlu company was cordially Invited to luncheon. Tiu rtst of the time wai occupied In stroll, ttiirarouud the town. Nupler It the principal town and import In llio Iluwket Iliy district, sihI Is brautllully situ itnl una uulii, tula. Homeoflhu finest rul lorn is are built oil the summit uf the clilN, over. Inoklug the sea, und n floe view uf thu surrounding ojuntry may bu obtained from theiu favorite heights. A lino breakwater haa been built over tMUU foetlouganJ the most pleaiunt (III v., la along thu erpluuadu facing thu ocean. Hid town has about 0030 Inhabit, ants, and thu many MibaUullal bual. in block InJIciitu tint there aru many enterprising cltlteu engaged lu bringing Napier Into the front ruuk ol New Zrulund cities. The principal ecclesiastical building It the Church of Kugland cathedral, which is anld to bu one of thu hands uueit strucluna lu Ihu colony. Hevtrnl iiewepiijn r ure liiblMied, two of which are ilallks, Ihe larce haibor will accommodato any of the Immenso etosiiura which -cailoutlly put lu at Now Zealand imrts. Thu confironce meellnga at Te Ituuke uommeiiCkd un Frldny, April I 7th, and great Intirnt wat muuirteted In the lervlcos, A new foaturu waa Ihu 1 singing of anno 01 our lavotlleHun. dny school hymus, in tho j.oglnh lauguage, which somen! Ihe native were familiar with, Af.iWof our old, time .Ion's hymns, traLslatod IntJ Maori by Kldor J. M. lleudry, were much enjoyed by the natives, nnd the nil, familiar tunes wiru a treat lu the Klderi. "Who'aon Ihe Lord's aide, wh7" was sung by Lider Uoddaid, who waa uralatod lu tbo chorus by his colleagues and many of thu Maori member. It would havo done cur veteran Hunday school worker good to hear hi favorite old hymn sung so earnestly by his dark-lalnned brethren and listers. The principal topic of conversation, III Ihe luiervale between ineetlngs,wa tho dedication ot thuf-alt LakeTemple, and one evening was devoted to rem, Inlscunceaof Ti tuple laliors. The work continues lo spread, and two new districts Were forme 1 Uion the Houth Island, one conslttlug of European members, aud the other of Maoris. All tho J'.Uors are In good health, and appear to rejoice lu their labors. All euloyed thu happy reunion, nud whllo tome bade good-bye prior to their return to Zlon, others returned to their fields of Ishjr wllh renewed determination determina-tion to continue the work ot tncour-aglug tncour-aglug the Halnta and warning llio slunera to lleo from the wruth to come." l'im:si.. |
