1854.] NEW-ZEALAND CHILDREN. 37 WE have frequently noticed in the pages of this periodical the wonderful change which has been brought about in the natives of New Zealand. Thirty years ago there was not among them a single convert to Christianity. Now, comparatively few heathen are left, E SHE CONTINUED MOVING IN HER DANCE TOWARDS THE FENCE See p. 39, 38 NEW-ZEALAND CHILDREN. [APRIL, and these rapidly diminishing. The great mass of the people are by profession Protestant Christians. What an encouragement to carry on Missionary labours, when we see how, within a comparatively short period, God blesses them to such great results. It would be a great mistake, however, to suppose that our work as a Missionary Society is done, and that we are free to leave the island. Before we are at liberty to withdraw we must be careful to assure ourselves that due instrumentalities have been raised up for the transmission of the truth, so that the national profession of it shall not die out with the present generation, but be handed down from the fathers to the children. It is necessary that the people should be convinced how needful it is to afford Christian education to their children, and a native ministry be raised up in sufficient numbers to justify a hope of its continuance. The first generation of Christian converts have been but very partially acquainted with the blessings of Christian training and education, and cannot be expected, for a time at least, to apppreciate them for their children; and as to a native ministry, it is yet in its veriest infancy, one native only having been as yet ordained. To this deeply-interesting event we hope to refer in our next Number. To these great objects the Society is now more especially addressing itself, and boarding-schools have been opened at the various Missionary stations, where the scriptural training and instruction of the New-Zealand youth is going forward amidst considerable difficulties, the nature of which will appear in the following letter from the Rev. R. Maunsell, of Waikato, dated Aug. 19, 1853 To add to our difficulties, food, in consequence of the discovery of gold in Australia, has risen to a very high price; and I felt myself obliged, about two months ago, to send away more than half of my scholars. Having lately, however, succeeded in getting some food, I have taken them in again, and will continue to keep them, until forced again to dismiss them. This inability steadily to maintain our operations gives me much concern. I feel every year more assured that the children ought to be taken into school as early as possible; say, after they have passed their sixth year. These dispersions, however, do them much injury, for many never return: those that do, forget, in a very large measure, what they had already learned. I am much obliged to you for pleading the cause of our institution: a little assistance would be now most acceptable. It would help us at once to form our Station, and direct immediate attention to raising crops, and thus gaining support for our school. I cannot but think that many would gladly forego some of their superfluous luxuries if they could see the change that takes place in one of the little wild inhabitants of the bush after it has been a few months in the school. Christian philanthropists, in visiting a NewZealand village, have often felt themselves constrained to admire the scenes they have witnessed. They see, in almost every place of any importance, a house, superior to the other buildings, set apart for religious purposes; and a certain number of men and women steadily, in all 1854.] NEW-ZEALAND CHILDREN. 39 weathers, meeting there every morning and evening for religious worship, and then quietly dispersing. But a little further inspection would cause anxiety as to the continuance of these cheering appearances. Too often are the hymns and prayers of the parents drowned by the shouts and indecent songs of their children. Unless a special effort be made, it is a very rare thing to witness any other children besides infants in a place of worship. Very few parents, I fear, ever teach their children any thing. Happy if he can get a rag to cover himself, the little fellow, unwashed, uncombed, unshorn, spends his day either in cowering over the fire, or in catching birds, or in playing some wild game with his male and female playfellows. The father and mother, never having experienced the benefit of early education or training, cannot at all see the necessity of bringing such little things to either school or prayers. To exhibit an independent, nonchalant bearing; to excel in the games or horsemanship; to be prompt in redressing the wrongs of his father or his tribe; in a word, to show a large measure of spirit-this is what the New-Zealand father most desires in his boy. To attach his affections, and prevent him from starting off at a word, and going away to some of his distant relatives, he carefully abstains from ever crossing his wishes. When remonstrated with upon his child's disobedience, he thinks it a sufficient answer to observe, that it is a New-Zealand child, and not of the same nature as the English. When urged to send him to school, he will say that that matter rests with the boy; or that he will die from love to his child; or that the boy will fret himself to death. Such is the New-Zealand child in the native place. He pays no regard to his parents' authority, and therefore respects but little the wishes of any one else. Last April, Sir G. Grey and myself had to pass through a village not far from this station. Seeing some of these little things, His Excellency observed that he would come back by-and-by, and bring them to my school. "Oh," said I, "they are here now, your Excellency, and if you will only put them on my canoe, I will engage to take them down; but I feel satisfied that you will find it difficult to get them." Sir George then proceeded to get some of them together. Having mustered six, he marched them off towards the river, about half a mile distant. Myself and another gentleman followed, admiring the tact and success with which he had apparently accomplished the object. Having gone about two hundred yards, one little girl, of about nine years of age, started aside, threw up her arms, and jumped and danced towards a fence. Sir George, who excels in the management of children, stopped, and, with a mixture of authority and kindness, beckoned to the little thing to return. She continued moving in her dance towards the fence, and, having got near it, sprang over it, and ran into the bush. The friends and parents, who were witnessing the scene, shouted with delight at the girl's escape; and the other little things, availing themselves of the interruption, pushed on, dispersed into the neighbouring wood, and escaped. Such being the character of both parents and children, you will easily imagine that it is only by a constant effort we are able to keep our number * See Frontispiece, 40 THE RUSSIAN PEASANT. [APRIL, of scholars up. With boys of twelve years of age the difficulty is much greater than it is with girls. The latter as often run away from their parents to school, as the former run away from school to their parents; and, I suspect, for this reason, that the girls are not made so much of at home as the boys. This, however, is certain, that the foundation of their character is laid in these years of neglect, and that we shall find it much more easy to get, to keep, and to manage them in their tender years, than when they are further advanced. I have no fears as to my getting all the children that I shall be able to maintain. God has graciously supplied me with an able staff of male and female teachers, who enter fully into all my views, and who pay periodical visits to their relatives, to gather up the children. These manage such matters better than I can; and when once in the institution, we hesitate not to use all the discipline that we may think necessary. Now, 21. per annum will keep one of these little wild lambs of Christ's flock at school. Almost every day I ponder in my mind whether I ought not to send away half of my school for the next two years, until the buildings at our new station are finished, and thus save money to pay some of the expenses. Still, I cannot persuade myself to deprive any of these precious little souls of the inestimable blessing of Christian training in what must be considered, in a large measure, the critical stage of their life. I hope, therefore, that I shall be able to go on in faith, looking to my good Master to supply my needs, discharging each day's duty as it comes, until the duty becomes clear that I must diminish my numbers. I have, I confess, strong hopes that assistance will be supplied to me if you make my case known to the Christian friends at home, though I cannot expect all I want. The urgent need of such efforts as those in which Mr. Maunsell is engaged is evident from this letter. These are the early years of the New-Zealand church. As with the child, so with the native church, the improvement of those tender years is of first importance. From the neglect of them the worst consequences must ensue. THE RUSSIAN PEASANT. THE Russian peasant is not a free man: he is a serf or slave; and, except that he is of the same colour with his master, and is exempt from the prejudice that so frequently and unjustifiably connects itself with a difference of hue, is in no respect better off than the negro slaves of the Havannah or Carolina. The Russian empire is distinguishable into two great divisions—the region of the north, or that of forest, swamp, and cultivation; and the vast steppes or prairies of the southern region, principally inhabited by wandering tribes occupied in pastoral life. It is of the peasantry of the northern region that we now speak. These are the moujiks, or bearded Russians, amounting in round numbers to forty-three or forty-five millions, about double the entire population of the United Kingdom. Of these, more than one-half are the serfs of private persons, and the remainder are the serfs of the crown. There are laws for the pro 1854.] THE RUSSIAN PEASANT. 41 tection of the slave, but they are easily evaded. The sale of a slave without that of the land to which he is attached is prohibited; yet an owner may let out slaves on a ninety years' lease, to work in the mines of Siberia. The law does not allow a master to strike his slave if he be within a certain distance of a police station. If beyond that distance, he may punish him to any extent, provided he does not die within three days after. If sent to the police station, he is there beaten with rods. The moujik carries with him his axe as his constant companion. Unlike our English hatchet, it is a little crooked in the handle. He is very dexterous in the use of it, and builds with it his log-house, stuffing the interstices with moss. This dwelling is heated by a vast stack of bricks, containing a small oven, and intersected with flues. The oven being filled with wood or faggots, the bricks are gradually heated through, and continue for the next six and thirty hours to diffuse throughout the house the heat they have received. Thus, through the long winter, his house is hotter than the tropics. He will sleep in rooms in which the temperature is not less than 90° Fahrenheit, and will lay himself down on sheep-skins extended on the stack of hot bricks of which his stove consists. The moujik wears his sheep-skin all through the winter. He leaves his dwelling, his blood raised by the artificial heat within, and the thick sheep-skin retains the heat for several hours; but when this ceases he must take shelter under some roof, until the degree of heat to which he has been accustomed is restored: if unable to do so, he is in danger of freezing to death. In summer the sheep-skin gives place to a caftan of coarse brown or grey homespun wool. A coloured sash is fastened round his waist, in which his axe is placed. His hair is cut after a singular fashion. A wooden bowl is placed like a cap on his head, and all the hair that appears under the rim is cut away. His beard and moustachios are thick. A leathern strap passing over his forehead binds together his dense locks. The moujik lives almost entirely on rye, fermented cabbage, and some rank black hempseed oil. The bread is black, and, as the rye grain is very much fermented before it is used, the bread is bitter and sour, and tastes like alum. He eats great quantities of salt. Tea and brandy are his principal luxuries. Into a small teapot, in which a pinch of tea has been deposited, he will continue to pour water out of a tea urn until no more is left. He drinks the liquid from a tumbler, combining with it, if he can afford to do so, two or three small lumps of sugar. When the supplies are limited, a piece of sugar is passed round, from which each bites a morsel, retaining it within his teeth whilst a glass or two is swallowed. Eight, twelve, fifteen, pints of this hot liquid will be consumed by the Russian at a sitting. The moujik, as our last paper on this subject evinces, is very superstitious. The picture of his tutelar saint always receives due |