A New Zealander Before And After His Conversion

o Aparo, (Apollus,) a native teacher, sáld, "ín pur heaíhen. state we 'sat Jilee 11 beasis ici ignorance: and as dogs; seeing others with sometbing good in iheh iS moulhs s-naích it from them and íight, se . we fonght and killod each other. Wher y a woraan was found guilty oí adultery. '■ the tribes to which the pártics coneernec , belongsd, made wár and killed thoinno ,3 cenias well as the guilty. When an ñ o ne broke the tápu, murder was commit'■ led; when our women were conñned, wt " put up a sorï of iavu. and if any man ap)t aproached, vê allo wed hlsn to como i near, and when lie retired, wc.pürsucd t and killfid hini. In our M-ars in forrner - times, we were not Batisficd with the death e of a few of our 0'nernfës; but sought för 0 llie entirc destruction of the tribe to , which they belonged wo triighi take 1 possessibir of their land. If murder was - eommiited, we sought revenge for gener1 ations on the children's children of the 3 raurderers. Ifou-r friends and 'children 3 diod, we considér-ed' thèm as gods and , looked upón them for support in war, and 1 supposed tí)ey carne and whistled to us. - ■ Our priests said they could see these i göds, and from their appearánce tel! , vhether we would be suócessful. "We used to inake as-many mounds of earüi, 1 as we wished torepresent tribes, over wbich the priests prayed; and at jjighi , they said the gods carne, and so marked them as to infunri us wfmt wptild he the fate of each tribe. Those wh'ö were slain in battle vcro cut up, as Vé cut up 'pigs, to cach rhan-'was given liis slmre: we ihen made a fire, burncd of the skin, and wlién the ñesti was cooked, beat it with a síick till it was soit, ándate it with pötatoes. The heads we stuck pon posts." 1 asked hïm if hehadc-aten any. He repliedj "Yes; and we used to t.hiuk . it swect, like pork." Pursuing bis narraíiye, he eaid, 'Ouv attention was íirsí draw.nTrom f'hpse ihings by European ariicles. This commenccu at íhc .norlh, and aftcrwards made its vay dov.-n here. The articles were axes, guns, spadés and pipes. We supposed the m'uskéi to be a god. and were much dclighted wlicn we got one. We thougbt ü would go-oifby blowing into the touchhole; but when we iound it would not, we applied a piece of burning stick. It when pff itnmediately, and we were surail was a L■.:. n:i m UlUüKtil cumü, we began fighiing vvith them irom this place "to Kawia and Tarankie. killirig a!l we met with. As the thing jast namcd came from the North, so ,did the good things. We heard that while we we.re fighting, missionaries and their follpwers were praying. By and by Mr. W. camc here, and went to Kawia, and returned by way of Waipa, leaving two native teachers. Another teacher carne from Mangungo. Through their instructions ayoungChief embraced Christianity; and at length a number of others. Afterwards Mr. Wood carne, and then Mr. Whitely and Mr. Wallis; and by. their means agreat number embraced the gospel. Then the missionaries left; I did not turn Chrisüan while they were here: but 1 went to look .on, while a native teacher was addressíng the people. I saw myself a sinner, and thoughi I should bc left beland, as many were tnrning to God. 1 feit sorry on account of my sins, and had great distrcssof niind. I thonglit of my i'riends, long since deud; and prayod to God, and said: 'Though my friendsare Judücn or lost, God shall be. my Fricnd.' I found relief, not by gcing back to my ola practices, bul by loaking consiahtly to God, and rememberincj that Chriüt, the Son oí God, made the paymënt for my alus. Thcn p'éáce was rinde betwcen Gud and my hcart, as peace U made between two tribes vlio have been at war. They break a stick in two pieccs, and lay them down bet ween the tribes; then two of the principal men lay their hands upon them, and peace is made. My peace is of the sania kind, bat it is liuble to interruptions. If old t]ii:). come upon me and thro'v me down, uiv peace will be broken, but if they do not,. my peace will not be brokon, and I shuü get to heaven."