Show written for this paper TRAVELS LETTER NO baday oa day november 3rd ard elders wm atter r and thomas S brownile Brow Brown nine inz re ed at auckland to hold a maori ting g with some visiting ri natives 1 while I 1 rjohn r john johnson and I 1 walked out the country to fill appointments appointment file e I 1 s sopped copped to hold a cottage meet in n the house of mr thomas sur in new lynne a little town about im 1 miles from auckland elder john walked four miles further to i and d held a meeting in a school house both th meetings we had attentive ers rs on our return to auckland in evening we felt impressed that the apel I 1 seed sown on that day would r fruit some time enday november ath I 1 resumed ewt bist historical orical lab labors ors in our rather un quarters being obliged to krae by a little table in in our small room attie tt tie e bedstead for a seat the aus lasian an mission is certainly in great id of better headquarters tuesday ay november ath after spend the forenoon doing historical work william gardner and myself ed the steamer tasmania and sail in auckland at p m to make ate tended tour to all the districts of lew zealand mission lying south the huddard parker and corn com pass agents were kind enough to give y h free transportation from auck via i gisborne wellington and ton a to dunedin and back again I 1 here feel in duty bound to state our aldeis have always been well fm by the agents of said company 0 also en general principles are oreg to make all passengers UP lifting ing on steamships as comfortable auckland the course of the tas capia w was as southeasterly until cape col vibe was passed at 7 p m thence we steamed off across the bay of plenty heading for east cape the evening PW wind windy yand and the sea somewhat rough i boess consequently prevailed wednesday november ath about 8 a m we rounded east cape abo changed our course from a south easterly east erty to a southwesterly direction wi we kept pretty close to the shore after Hus which afforded us si a fine view of the country and in places rock bound coast at ata 3 p m we cast anchor iJ UJ Poverty bay off gisborne almost on I 1 tiame spot where the great navigator AM captain etain james cook anchored october SOs ft 1769 having only discovered new Zea zealand zealand laud a few days previously but instead of being met by savage warriors at canoes ready lor for fight tike like captain CW cook we were soon approached by a team stem launch tugging a lighter afier tafter it sen lei the purpose of landing passengers ad freight but as the winds and waves tv yes and rolled toward land tm little craft labored hard to reach the steamer getting there at last it was no BO easy task to transfer the passengers the IU little launch was tossed up against of the steamer repeatedly only to ia be lowered quite a number of feet aj C next mon moment dent but by careful manibu latigu of ladder and hoisting apparatus ae passengers who were to land in gisborne elder gardner and myself in in clude dat last found ourselves clinging hard to the tackling gand and rail railing ingot ot the launch which finally landed us safely in at the gisborne wharf at the mouth ot of the anui river on landing we met elders charles H embley and jacob E who are laboring as missionaries missionaries in the poverty bay district they conducted us to the giouse of win hana who presides over the waikanae Wai kanae branch and with whom the elders make their headquarters in the poverty bay district he and his wile wife and niece received us kindly and we spent a pleasant evening with the me family and the elders I 1 also commenced my historical labors the various branch ani and district records having been gathered here lor for the purpose ot of being perused the evening was cold and stormy just before night elder joseph C jorgensen ol of logan U utah tab rode in with horses for brother gardner and myself to ride up to his field of labor the wanapa district where we expected to hold conference the following saturday and sunday thursday november ath in the morning I 1 was introduced to hami te hau hatt a sick brother who lived in a tent on the premises of We rihana and who was the first maori I 1 ever met w who hoaas was tattooed all over his face we also ate new potatoes for breakfast they were raised in the sand along the ibe beach where they ripen earlier than in ordinary soil after spending the forenoon culling from the records elders gardners gardeners Gard ners jorgensen or gensen and left gisborne on horse back about i p m for the district A few miles ride brought us to the coast and thence we followed the beautiful sandy beach for several miles until we reached the mouth of the papare river river which travelers generally cross on a ferry but as elder jorgenson knew of a place some distance up the stream where the river could be forded corded in safety we concluded that we would not patronize the ferryman as he no doubt had more shillings already than we had so in stead ot of paying the ferrying fee of one shilling lor for each man and horse we ford ed and then rode about three miles inland to the little liitle maori village twenty miles from gisborne Gis boine where tamati waka a non member received us very kindly and gave us boiled potatoes corn and cabbage for supper and made us as comfortable as he could over night we had quilean quite an interesting time lime with the family at eve evening nan 1 9 prayer and during the conversation which ensued tamati waka related some of his experience in the land courts and denounced the actions of the church of england missionaries who he said had taught the maori to pray to god butr but kinle the confiding maori was engaged in his devotion the mis siona its ies and the other europeans stole his land from under him friday november ath we arose early from our beds on the mats in the smoky and dismal quarters where we had spent the night partook of bread and warm water with sugar in for breakfast saddled up mounted our horses and rode away first we passed up through valley thence we crossed the mountain to the sea beach which we followed for several miles thence turned inland again crossing another mountain to maywhere bay where the town of bawa is pleasantly situated at the mouth of a river of that name this place is about thirty five miles from gisborne we now turned inland once more following the general course of the bawa river about four miles to man gahera a native village situated on a stream of that name a tributary of the awa at this place there is a branch of the church and here we were to hold our meetings or conference for the district liere we also met elders louzelle Ro uzelle E scott and joseph A M jacobsen who are laboring as missionaries in the district in connection with elder jorgenson the native saints who were at home also greeted us with their usual warmth of heart I 1 commenced my historical labors at once assisted by elder joseph C jorgenson in the evenin gafter after prayer speeches of welcome were made by the natives to which elder gardner and I 1 responded we also administered to a sick sister who lay at deaths door and was raving under the influence of a peculiar spirit which we rebuked by the power of the priesthood after which she I 1 became quiet and rested well during the night instead of caling for the administration of the ordinance tor for the sick in the first place the young woman had sought the advice of the maori priests but this had only made her worse and was in in our judgment the cause of the evil spirit taking possession of her brother behira paea t the he president of the Manga heia branch placed a room in his house at our disposal during our stay in the place where we spent a comfortable night the district embraces that peninsular part of the north island of new zealand which terminates in east cape and extends to the river on the southeast coast and i on the north on the bay of plenty coast the membership of the district is 26 4 or souls including children three elders who make their headquarters near bawa or br bay thirty five miles northeast of gisborne are the representatives from zion at the present time in the district which consists of five branches namely bawa also called Manga heia te Peka hua Toko moru taumata 0 tapuhi mapuhi and te the bawa branch comprises the saints residing in the town of bawa situated on the felago bay at the mouth of the bawa river and in the village of man gahera situated inland about four miles northwest of bawa there is a small meeting house at at Manga heia hela this branch was organized december aist 1884 by elder john W ash and ezra F richards te branch is a continuation of the Manga tuna branch branc b which was organized december ath 1884 it cm embraces the saints residing in the villages of Whar akaka kopua kaopua a and d Mang Mangat ahma luna Whar akaka where t the e meetings are generally held is situa situated tid on the left or north bank ot of the bawa river about three miles up from its mouth or the town ot ad bawa the Toko toyomaru tokomaru To komaru martt branch comprises the saints residing on the tokomaru toyomaru To komaru bay on the east coast about thirty five miles south southwest of TeRa te hui and thirty miles north northeast of bawa or tola go bay T the he branch was first organized out of the northern part of the marahlea branch in 1888 on february 1393 a reorganization was effected when it absorbed the remnants of the marahlea branch which was originally organized by elders william T stewart and john W Ash Asb November 1884 with benari kotae as president te branch comprises the saints residing in three native villages named respectively te bauma and te of which the two first are situated in the valley and the other on the coast about eight miles northeast of te te is situated on the north side or left bank of the river near its mouth it is is sixty five miles northeast of bawa on bay and near east cape being the easternmost of all the branches of the church in new zealand the branch was first organized by elders john W ash and ezra F richards january i consisted once of nearly members mem ners it 11 is still the largest branch in the district the general conference of the australasian Austra lasion mission was held here in apr aar 1 1892 1 1 I he taumata 0 tapuni branch is an outgrowth of te branch and was was organized april loth 1887 it comprises the saints residing in in the villages of taumata 0 and carapa of which the first named is is situated about four miles inland from the mouth of the riv eror the village of te saturday november ath I 1 spent the day perusing perus ingi the district and branch re cords for historical st orical purposes which proved quite a task as most of the entries inthe in the branch books were made in the maori language in the evening we held our first meeting in a low and rather dismal looking meeting house elder gardner and I 1 were the speakers brother jorgensen translating for me about sixty people were present all natives except the elders about the same number attended the meetings on the following day sunday november loth we held othree three good and interesting meetings at Manga heia I 1 occupied most of of the time in the forenoon elder jorgenson again being my mv interpreter in the afternoon elder gardner spoke on the first principles of the gospel the evening session was mostly devoted to bearing testimonies I 1 also being among the speakers excellent testimonies were borne and the natives were so anxious to 0 s speak ea t that at two or three comet sometimes mes rose to their feet simultaneously fo for the purpose of talking the meeting was a long one as nearly all who were present both men and women had something to say among the speakers were quite a number of intelligent and representative maoris laoris including some non members the holy spirit was poured out to such an extent in in all our meetings that we left the people feeling well and the saints full of determination to renew their efforts in serving the lord faithfully and true while the evening meeting was in session the sick woman to whom we had bad administered several times during our stay died this was no surprise sur orise to us as we were not permitted in our administration in her behalf to promise her a prolongation of ol 01 life monday november nth after taking leave of elders scott and jacobsen and those of the native saints who had not already taken their departure elders gardner jorgenson and myself mount ed our respective horses and started on our return trip for gisborne at a m at bawa we took leave of and family mr Rue once a faithful member of the church but he fell from grace like others have done he has however retained his love for the gospel and the brethren and is desirous of once more becoming a member after riding twenty miles we stepped to let our horses bait on the banks ot of the river while elder jorgenson lor genson and I 1 took a refreshing swim in the beautiful lul stream this was my first experience of that kind in new zealand resuming our journey at p m we forded corded the river which was a somewhat dangerous undertaking as the water was quite deep the tide being in tired and weary after our long ride we arrived at mr adolph hansens house near gisborne at 6 p m there we spent a pleasant evening with the family and some invited relatives talking gospel singing songs reciting etc mr hansens wife is a member of the church and he himself is a good friend of the elders at a late hour we finished our long days journey by walking and riding to our former quarters on the premises of Wi rihana tuesday november lath we settled down to liard hard work copying and culling from the district and branch records assisted by elder embley whom we had met again the evening previous at mr hansens house in the evening we held a meeting in brother Wi rihana Tu house we also received our home mail including copies of the DESERET NEWS which gave us the mint minutes ites of the october conference held in salt lake city and other items of news which are always interesting and welcome to an elder in a foreign land the poverty bay or district consists of a tract ot of country lying adjacent to the town of gisborne with wilh a coast line extending from the top of the mountains southwest of muriwai or the south line of cook county to the mouth of the river on the northeast it consists oi of lour branches with a total membership of go 90 or souls including children the names name ot of the branches are waikanae Wai kanae and muriwai Mur iwai the two elders laboring in the district make their headquarters at gisborne or the waikanae Wai kanae branch where they also receive their mails the waikanae Wai kanae branch embraces the saints residing in gisborne and vicinity two being european saints it is a continuation of the Papaw haraki branch which was organized november irth 1884 with te What onoro john A jury as president and was one of the first maori branches in new zealand from 1887 to 1894 it was known as the kaiti branch Wi rihana with whom the elders make their home now presides over the branch and 19 i a very faithful and hospitable man the branch embraces the saints residing in the five native villages called respectively karaka kete roa Wai horo takeru and rakau hakau tutu the last named place where the meeting house stands is about twenty miles inland from gisborne in a northwesterly direction it was inthis in this branch at the village ot of karaka that the book ot mormon was translated into the maori language by elders ezra F richards and sondra saunders under the direction oi of elder william the village of karaka is situated bank of the faipaua river two ass northwest of the brail was organized october jtb 1885 the branch consists ofa saints residing in the native hillh vill hillge ge and bOJ situated on the faipaua river abo about t H miles inland from poverty bayt bay 9 about twelve miles |