VOL. I. No. 15. NEW SERIES.] [JUNE, 1851. THE CHURCH MISSIONARY GLEANER. LYING IN STATE OF THE NEW-ZEALAND CHIEF HOANI HEKE.-Vide p. 172. HEKE. HOANI HEKE was a Chief of the Bay-of-Islands' District, in New Zealand, and had married a grand-daughter of the famous Hongi, who, on his return from England in 1821, had for several years wasted with cruel war large districts of the island. Such were fearful times-fearful to read of: how much more awful to have witnessed! They were significantly described by a middle-aged Chief, who was the travelling companion of our Missionary, Archdeacon Brown, in a recent journey from Taupo to Tauranga. Pointing to a distant range of hills, whose tops were covered with snow, he said, "Formerly that was the residence of my tribe; but so many of them were killed and caten by our enemies, that we abandoned the place to live at Taupo. In those days," he added, "men were our pigs, that is, food. If the Gospel had not been sent to us when it was, the Missionaries by this time would have had no one to preach to: we should have devoured each other till we had been extinct." Heke seems to have caught the restless spirit of old Hongi; nor had he the excuse of ignorance, for he had received Christian instruction, and, on his profession of repentance and faith, had been baptized. When the authority of Great Britain was extended over New Zealand, instead of being thankful for an event which preserved his country from being seized upon by some other European power, in whose hands it would have fared far worse, he indulged feelings of discontent, which at length broke out in open violence. He cut down a signal-staff which had been erected near the town of Russell, in the Bay of Islands; and, on its being replaced by order of the Governor, united his tribe with that of a heathen Chief named Kawiti, and, at the head of 1000 Natives, proceeded to attack the town, from which, after some fighting, the soldiers retired, leaving it in the hands of the insurgents. Yet amidst this outbreak of war the improved character of the New Zealanders was very clearly manifested. They gave up the dead bodies of the English which were in their possession, and hoisted a flag of truce for the purpose of delivering up, uninjured, a White woman and her child whom they had taken prisoners. On the second day of skirmishing, the officer commanding the troops and sailors, and his aide-de-camp, advancing considerably ahead of their party, fell into an ambush, and were taken as prisoners to the camp of the Maories, who, after a careful examination of them and their arms, allowed them to return to the town with their swords and pistols, after they had danced round them; a very remarkable circumstance, when we remember that many of these Natives were heathen. After the war had terminated, Heke continued to reside in the Kaikohe District, where our Missionary, the Rev. R. Davis, is stationed. Had he been spared, there is little doubt that he would have gone to reside with Archd. H. Williams at Parakaraka, in accordance with his expressed intention; but he fell into ill health; HEKE. 171 and it soon appeared that consumption, that disease to which so many of his countrymen every year fall victims, had seized upon him. At first, when visited, he was surly in his manners, and seemed disinclined to listen. As, however, his sickness increased in severity, he softened down much. "When Thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity." No doubt Heke felt it so; and, as his once healthy frame wasted away under the power of a sickness, the seeds of which were not improbably sown in his constitution amidst the excitement and hardships of the war, he began to feel the importance of those truths which in his health he had neglected. His last days, and the funeral ceremonies with which his tribe honoured the memory of their departed Chief, are very touchingly described in the following extracts from Mr. Davis's Journal July 27, 1850-Heke is much worse. He told me that he felt a change had taken place in his system. He appeared low-spirited and thoughtful. His mind was directed to Christ, but he said nothing. July 29-Yesterday Heke was very ill. He appeared affectionate. He was visited by several members of the Church, when addresses were given, and much prayer offered up; but I fear his heart is not deeply affected, and this distresses me. This morning he appeared better, and told me that he had been thinking about receiving the Sacrament. I requested him to think seriously on that subject, and as soon as his mind was made up to let me know, when I would communicate with the Archdeacon. He replied, "Ah! it may be that there may not be time." Aug. 1-I visited Heke, who has been removed about five miles toward his own place. I found him very ill. His people are now gathering around him, as it is evident to all that he is sinking into the arms of death. Several having assembled in the house in which the Chief was lying, and others outside, they were addressed from Matt. xxii. 1-11, and pressed and invited to come to Christ. Aug. 5-I visited Heke yesterday. He is near death. He grasped my hand, and held it for a long time. His eyes beamed with affection; and they were fixed upon me during almost the whole of the address. When I left him, he appeared to wander. I told him his mind must be solely fixed upon Christ. He replied, "It is on Him my mind is fixed." He then gave me a farewell token with his nose, but said no more. His people were all very respectful. Aug. 6-A messenger came to inform me that Heke had expressed a wish to be removed to his own place, and that they had removed him accordingly, and thought he would not last more than about four days. Aug. 7-This morning, while engaged in the School, a messenger came to inform me that Heke had died this morning. Poor man! he has now gone to his final account. He was always, I believe, in his heart a friend to the Missionaries; but, alas! he was not always a friend to their cause But here the curtain must drop. He had numerous faults. His determination to go to war with the Government was to us a deep, severe, sore trial. Every argument was used, and every means resorted to, to divert *The old New-Zealand custom of saluting. him from his purpose; but he was inflexible. From the manner in which he conducted the war, however, it was evident that his mind was neither under the influence of hatred nor revenge. Aug. 8-1 went to Heke's place, to put in a claim for the body for Christian burial. I knew it was his wish not to be tapued after death, but to have Christian burial; but he doubted whether we should be able to attain the object, against a strong party which would raise objections thereto. On my arrival, I found the body tapued, dressed, and laid in state, and all done with considerable taste. They had removed the front of the house, so as to throw it open, and from the part removed a covered entrance to the body was formed, into which the people should enter to take a last farewell of their Chief. The body was placed in one corner of the house, in a sitting position. The head was dressed with feathers. At the back was a large red silk handkerchief fastened to the wall. Over head was a white cloth, which formed a canopy. The body was covered up to the upper lip with a scarlet cloth, fringed round the border. Before him was laid his green stone mere. At his right hand were his Prayerbook and his double-barrelled gun; while at his left hand stood a native war-weapon called a paraua, made of whalebone.+ On the outside stood a flag-staff, with his flag, a piece of red print, hoisted half-mast high. There was a large assemblage of Natives. A party arrived when I was there, and immediately walked quietly up to the appointed place to view the dead Chief and cry over him. In their crying-or rather howling-they chanted forth his patriotism, his noble deeds, and daring exploits; and lamented, as far as I could understand, that they had not joined him therein. After visiting and consulting with the principal people, I found it would be in vain to say any more on the subject of burying the body; but I requested the people to assemble in the presence of their dead Chief, and I took my stand in front. I told them that Heke did not die in the belief of their superstitions, but in the belief of the Gospel; that it was his wish not to be tapued after death, but to receive Christian burial; that the last words he spoke to me were to let me know that his mind was fixed on Christ; that, as they had expressed their opinion that there would be danger of a serious quarrel should we attempt to give him Christian burial, I of course should be guided by their opinion; but, nevertheless, as the Chief had died a professed member of the Church, I should read the Service over him, and leave them to do as they pleased with the body, knowing that, whatever that might be, it could not affect him in his eternal state, as it was not Heke, but his body only, which was now present before us. The Service was then read, and the people addressed from John xi. 25, 26. They were attentive and respectful. Heke's widow looks miserable and wretched. She was a daughter of the late Chief Hongi Ika, and was brought up in Mr. Kemp's family; but, alas! I fear she is a stranger to the consolations of the Gospel. Aug. 12-I visited the people assembled at Heke's place. We found the Christian party holding Service in front of the house which contained the body of the departed Chief. Poor man! I have now paid him my last visit. His body was put away last night, and we shall not meet again The general native weapon before the introduction of fire-arms. The rib of the sperm whale, not the substance usually called whalebone. Both a mere and paraua may be seen at the Church Missionary House. THE TURK AND ARMENIAN. 173 until this mortal shall have put on immortality. I hope he has found mercy; but it is but a hope-a ray of hope grounded on his apparent sincere wish to be visited regularly, in order that prayer and reading the Scriptures should be a daily exercise. I very seldom visited him less than three times a week, when prayer was made, the Scriptures read, and a short exhortation given. He also wished to keep a Christian Native always with him, night and day, as he was fearful lest the native priests should again endeavour to entangle his mind. Many attempts were made by them to accomplish this object, but in all they apparently failed. The last attempt of the kind was made when they thought him dying, a day or two before he died; but he interrupted the man, and said, " Cease to destroy me." So died Heke! Had he given himself to Christ during his time of health, instead of to the impulse of his own evil and headstrong passions, his last hours would have been gilded by a hope as bright, and a peace as settled, as those which beam forth so beautifully in the following touching extract from a Journal of Archdeacon Brown April 2, 1850-Samuel, who has been lying ill at the Station for a long time past, had a severe hæmorrhage from the lungs this morning, and it is probable he will not long survive. When a little recovered from exhaustion, I said to him, "How do you feel, Samuel, in prospect of that death which appears coming so near to you ?" "My heart is not dark," he replied, "but light."-"What gives you joy?" "That Christ has died for my sins," laying a particular emphasis on the pronoun. "When the Natives are in health," he said afterward, "their whole thoughts are occupied about the riches of this world: they want horses, and ships, and mills. When a man is dying, as I am now, he feels that horses, and ships, and mills, are of no value to him; that nothing can satisfy him but a crown of glory." THE TURK AND ARMENIAN. As a ARMENIA was once a powerful kingdom of Asia, occupying the region which, bounded on the north by Mount Caucasus, lies between the Black and Caspian Seas, with Mount Ararat in its centre. distinct kingdom it has long since been broken up, and divided between Russia, Persia, and Turkey. The Armenians are a nation "scattered and peeled." They are to be found, not only in the countries immediately adjoining what was once the dwelling-place of their forefathers, but in India to the east, and westward as far as Italy, Hungary, and Austria. Christianity was introduced amongst them in the beginning of the fourth century, at a time when the "silver had become dross, and the wine mixed with water." Ceremonies, and relics, and pretended miracles, appear to have occupied their attention much more than the pure and undefiled religion which the Apostle sums up when he says, "In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Yet such as it was amongst them, they were satisfied to endure for its sake many and grievous persecutions, at one period from the heathen Persians, then |