Adams. — On ScJiool-teacJung. 453 



burning questions of the day on war, on religion, or on poli- 

 tical reform ; but he might well have looked with astonish- 

 ment at the result of their knowledge of the forces of nature 

 in producing food, making clothes, building houses, and 

 fashioning weapons. Some of these wonders effected by 

 science he no doubt tried to impart to the men of his tribe, 

 but with little success until the arrival, some years later, of 

 the mission party. His new friends arrived in a large ship 

 provided with stores of all kinds. They landed with the im- 

 portance of men who possessed superior wealth, superior 

 knowledge, and superior goodness. The houses placed at their 

 disposal were soon stored with all manner of goods, sufficient 

 to enrich not only the whole tribe, but, to the imagination of 

 the savage, all the tribes of New Zealand. It was soon found 

 also that the stores belonged to men who knew well how to 

 make use of them. The blacksmith, the builder, the ship- 

 carpenter, the flax-dresser, and the farmer were soon busy, 

 each at his own occupation, preaching sermons, so to say, by 

 the wonderful works of their hands, while the missionary was 

 busy mastering the rudiments of the language. With what 

 admiration the natives must have watched a party of these 

 new members of the tribe carrying on their operations in a 

 kauri forest. The trees fall with startling rapidity under the 

 blows of the keen axe ; the logs are moved about by levers, 

 slid along a plane, rafted to the saw-pit, and there the crane, 

 with its mighty iron hand, lifts them into position. After the 

 logs are sawn into planks comfortable houses are built ; while, 

 at the same time, a large ship rises up before their eyes, that 

 is finally launched into deep water apparently with the blow 

 of a hammer. 



All these great works were accomplished in less time than 

 the natives would have been able, without the white man's aid, 

 to fell a tree and trim it that it might be made into a canoe. 

 And still new wonders were every day displayed. The black- 

 smith's forge was soon aglow with the molten iron, and curious 

 articles were fashioned before their eyes. The flax-mill sent 

 forth its hum and the fibre came forth in quantity, very 

 different from the tedious and laborious scraping with a pipi- 

 shell. Strange animals — horses and cows and sheep — were 

 landed and enclosed near the missionary's house. The plough- 

 ing and harrowing and sowing went merrily on. New vege- 

 tables were grown, and fruit-trees of all kinds were planted- 

 Abundant crops of corn were soon gathered in, which the 

 miller changed into flour and the baker into bread. The 

 Maori who saw all these wonders performed must have been 

 very dull indeed not to recognise that the mythical works 

 ascribed even to their deities were as nothing in comparison 

 -with what could be done by this wonderful missionary and his 



