Show A laifer FROM ONE NE oh 01 1191 1 the following letter was received ly by the progress office irom from elder gailien stephenson of holden in the new zealand mission field we thought it would be ot of interest to the readers so we are taking the liberty to publish it nuhaka new zealand jan 17 1922 I 1 have been receiving and barding with much interest the doings andi and happenings happe appen ninga ings of 0 millard county ton for 1 some time past in the progress al at ali i though hough the progress wi contains contain thea the t news of the world it Is flavored with a lit bit of personal friendly feelings which makes it really more than a news paper perhaps I 1 could make it more plain by saying that it is a let 1 ter from homo home it be right for me to keep on receiving these letters without answering them some time would it so I 1 am attempting an m answer to them I 1 have spout spent nearly a year in this tar far away land the first seven mon men abs tbs being spent in a bit ot of transplanted millard known in this part as the maori agricultural college but word kept coming from over the sea wanting it back aud and finally to my loss I 1 found our little gathering all gone and only my farond the progress and myself left at the college with tho the millard stamp on it now the progress fells ells me that my colleagues are teaching school and riding around the stake as a unite in the stake pros prod this news t receive very gladly and say to them his kaha in your our new work As soon as the school season was out I 1 was to there are three ot of us here from rom W lard elder ottley from oak city rider jennott Ct and it myself from holdon and we are all laboring with the natives aud and striving hard to depre pont pent out our matda and stakes in tile the great work of the lord among them thern we have about ive five thousand maori saints hero here and the riders elders are kept very busy looking after the interests inte resla of the church and herding the maoris laoris along the straight and narrow path hard to follow after tr these i crooked bridle paths through the bush tor for so long my aly rea Elder Bachman and myself have just returned from a maori celebration eb cb ration or hul as they call it the purpose of this hul hos was to unveil a monument in fit honor of the maori boys of 0 the mahl peninsula who paid the supreme sacr atice in the lato late world war our church has some som elarge large tents in which we house our saints at our learly early conference or hut hul lan ian one 0 ct these tents was used at this hut hul the tent is like a big circus teut tent and it is used for a meeting house in tho the day time and a bed room at night 1 ahe I he ground being covered with a thick layer ot of ferns covered with large lax flax mats make a very biad ad bed room either the alafris maoris who have charge 0 ot f the hul spend several days hunting wild pig fishing killing sheep and cattle preparing places tor for cooking pitching tents piping water and in a general way preparing to house teed feed and lied bed a large crowd of 0 people aben the day ot of the hul arrives the natives begin to lock flock in some horseback others in gigs and buckboard carreles car regea reges they come in crowds or tribes and when the tribe arrives lorue bome old kul km or woman will sing out ut haere mal mail haere ha ere inal and then a 1 horus chorus of them I 1 will join in tills otis welcome cry the fisting tribe answers the ilia call and rides up a little nearer tile then dismounts and all horses are taken laken taie laie of 0 thou thea the tribe as a unit comes a few steps nearer and then stands a few more steps and eland thus they slowly proceed toward wa rd the laige tent lent when they get the crowd they sit on cm the ground while they are proceeding this way they aro are being welcomed by the ran gatila or 01 cinel chef who Is there lie ile walls back and forth with a cane in his hand giving them a speech ot of wel loiue it is very amusing to watch mm into sling his arms stamp his foot and pace back and forth shouting to the top of 0 his voice As soon as he lias has finished nul sheU another will I 1 take lako his place pil and continue tho the elcome welcome speech attar which the ran kan katira ot of the hie visiting tribe arises to his feet anil answers the welcome and tho the appreciation of his tribe sometimes a 1 few honra are spent in fit this way then the visitors are admit tl acl to the crowd and then continued on page eight continued from page pae one A LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR missionaries ing ln and bongi or no noso e press ing is the d chief excitement this same bame proceeding is carried out with with all of the visitors the alafris maoris are great eaters after their friends have been greeted then comes tho the kal they have all kinds of elsh meats fruits cakes etc and they know where to put them when thoy they get their hands on them sunday the lay day df d the unveiling of 0 the monument two tables side by side were spread the visitors sitting to tables but the laoris maoris on the ground the two groups ot of eaters made a line about twenty five yards I 1 long the chas were served in a Pa dalelia lelia way the laoris maoris were handed a plate heaped with potatoes meat and pubs arid and all along their spread was heaps of 0 hippies pip pies kina lauwa and other forms of ocean lita lifer while passing by their spread I 1 won deded how so many things could bo be eaton caton hut but upon returning I 1 saw nothing but a mass of 0 empty shells to tell the tale our dining period was livened up by music the maori is fond of 0 musj mus j ie ic A piano was placed near our table arid and a merry crowd with mandolins and other string instruments sang and played while we ate it made a person feel like grabbing one of those I 1 insky dusky maidens and stepping out tor for a dance this form of merriment i kept up until we had tilled filled our I 1 1 after the remains from the meal was cleaned up tip all went to see the monument unveiled the monument stands on the brow of a hill overlooking sea and with a green hillside for a back ground the services were conducted on ducted by Rev Bennett a church of 0 england Engla iid minister and the monument was unveiled unveil eI by a returned sol dier I 1 the alafris maoris are arc great lovers ot of america and I 1 was proud and glad t td see old gory glory lying flying iborg tho the sile side of the union jack at the alie unveiling services i I 1 back from the monument some distance a person would think that a cattle roundup round up was taking laking place the place was in n the mountains ns and I 1 counted one on hundred and eighty live five saddle horses w without th 0 moving 19 1 9 I 1 lium tile tiie gig that I 1 was standing in ilie ilia maoris laoris are never too coo old or too young to ride we see old auls with a child tied on their back galloping down the road horse back is about the lest best way to take these hills also after tuc too services wele over all returned back to the camp tasted fasted and spent the remainder ot of the day talk aig visiting holding karakla ai akia etc such auch is one ot of the many good times which the maoris laoris have they all live today to lo day duy and let tomorrow to morrow take care of 0 itself they are a full people will give anything that they have haio unk anu the tuoro more a person can eat the note moie they think of 0 him so all of 0 you Millard teg ites who had your appt appetites aites satisfied yet come on a mission to maori land wishing you all of 0 the best things lor for the lite C coming clug season I 1 remain elder maiben stephenson |