WoHLERS. — Civilization of Southern Maoris. 129 



and ruled over by Christian fathers. I do not say that these fathers Avere 

 regenerated Christians ; but they were born and had grown up in Christian 

 countries, had got used to civilized habits, and, as sailors, had learned dis- 

 cipline. The mothers in such families, had, therefore, better food, better 

 clothing, better dwellings, than the other women of their race who had 

 Maori husbands. This raised their minds to a higher level of humanity. 

 They got self-respect. This made them wilHng to fall in with the discipline 

 of their husband. They became healthier and had more children. 



Such chaste, soul-ennobling love, as exists in refined Christian societies, 

 was at that time unknown among the Maoris. All marriages were treated 

 as political affairs. The tribal divisions were subdivided again and again, 

 to mere parties. Such parties had many things in common. Now 

 marriages among the young people, if left to themselves, might be to the 

 advantage of one party and the disadvantage of another. There were rights 

 to be considered. Therefore the councils of the parties, in which all free, 

 men and women had voices, decided how people should marry. On the 

 same wise were some of the girls given away to become wives of the 

 Pakehas among them — not without a consideration. 



The minds of the Pakeha Maori wives were affected by the agitation of 

 the conversion among the Maoris ; the half-caste children were so lovely as 

 " to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to 

 the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

 When a mother with her children had been baptized, and the blessings of 

 a Christian marriage pronounced over father and mother, then all felt so 

 happy that now they formed a Christian family. 



It was a time of revival here then, and as such a happy time, but it was 

 a poor time in temporal affairs. It was as if we had been left and forgotten 

 in this out-of-the-way corner of the world. The whales and the seals had 

 been exterminated, and it did not pay any longer for ships to come this 

 way. Wellington, at Cook Strait, was the nearest civilized settlement, 

 and that was far away. The communication was by Maori boats from 

 place to place along the coast. It took about two years before my clothes 

 and books, which I had left at Nelson, found their way to Euapuke, and it 

 was a marvel that they arrived at all. Correspondence here was not so 

 easily carried on then as^ it is now. When I wrote home to Germany, it 

 took two years and a half before I could receive an answer. I hved, when 

 not travelling, like a hermit, cultivated my food and cooked it myself; did 

 also my washing. When I could get no flour, then cooked peas were a good 

 substitute for bread. I also tried to introduce the cultivation of peas 

 among the Maoris, who needed such nutritious food, but could not succeed ; 

 the time for industry had not yet come. 



