Wouters.—Civilization of Southern Maoris. 131 
weight getting too heavy on their minds, they came to me of their own 
accord, and begged to have the whipping over, so that they might feel good 
again. The chastisement was then performed under loving admonitions, 
and that made them love me and helped them to be good. 
To the civilization of the Maoris also belongs the introduction of the 
English language. So long as they cannot read the colonial newspapers, they 
must remain an inferior race in the colony. This cannot be accomplished in 
one generation—the Maori language being so simple and the English so com- 
plicated, especially in spelling and pronouncing—but it can in two or three. 
I commenced a school for that purpose. Of course the scholars did not 
learn much English, but they learned some, and that did them good ; for 
when they grew up and became parents, by the time the Government had 
established English schools among them they were very anxious that their 
children should attend regularly, while parents who had not been at the 
former school were not. 
The work towards civilization began at Ruapuke, but it spread also to 
other parts of the Strait. Let us look at their dresses, when, in the time 
of transition, they came into the church in their Sunday clothes. Some 
Wore native mats, some woollen blankets, though cleanly, in most cases old 
and much worn. Some few also wore parts of European clothes, but 
seldom complete. It caused not the least surprise when a man came in 
dressed in a European man’s shirt and a short waistcoat and nothing else. 
Some years later such an appearance would not have been tolerated by the 
Congregation. In a few years more, as improvement went on, all wore 
simple and decent European clothes. Though they were much patched, it 
was neatly done. The head mother of the community had instructed them. 
It also did not look amiss when the patches were of different colours. I 
rather liked that under the circumstances. 
By this time the Maoris had turned very industrious, their minds having 
been raised by Christian ideas. They raised now large crops of potatoes 
for export. At first they had to take them in their boats to Dunedin ; but 
by and by trading schooners came this way who bought the potatoes and 
sold wearing apparel and other things necessary for housekeeping. Cows 
Were imported, and the girls learned to milk and to make butter. The 
cultivation of wheat was introduced. We got a cart, ploughs, and hand- 
mills. I broke in young bullocks for working. However, most of the 
cultivation was done by spade husbandry, owing partly to the rocky soil of 
the island, and partly to the men, being proud of their skill in managing 
boats on a boisterous sea, disliking the working with bullocks. However, 
large crops of wheat were grown, both for home use and for export. The 
health of the Maoris improved ; the births began to exceed the deaths, 
