Lecture by the Bishop of Waiapu.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 560, 22 January 1891, Page 3

Lecture by the Bishop of Waiapu.

REMINISCENCES OF INDIAN MISSIONARY LIFE. There was a good attendance at the new Wesleyan Church on Tuesday evening, when Bishop Stuart delivered a lecture dealing with his experiences in the Indian mission field. The Chair was occupied by Colonel Simeon, who has seen active service in India, and after the meeting had been opened with praise and prayer, that gentleman introduced the lecturer in a few appropriate words, saying that the lecture they were to have was not the outcome of imagination or the result Of book-reading, but was the experience of one who was entitled to speak with authority. The Bishop has an easy style of delivery, and possesses besides a vein of quaint humor Which few would give hie Lordship credit for. He has been a close observer of men and manners, retains a lively recollection of the places he has visited, and can draw upon an unrivalled fund of incident culled in the Bourse of long and varied experiences. He Was therefore able at will to interest, instruct, Or amuse his listeners as only one who is a perfect master of the subject’of hie discourse Ban do. The lecturer referred to his landing in India, and the strange feelings which it gave rise to. The Bishop, then a missionary, was destined for educational work in the north of India, but prior to leaving Calcutta, where he remained some time, he was witness of numerous heathen cere monies of a horrible nature, and various shameful sights which he described to the BUdienoe. He gave a realistic picture of what he termed " the vultures’ feast," in Which the bodies of dead men Seated down the river in thousands, while vultures fed upon the buoyant corpses. He explained that according to the laws of the Hindoos they were required to burn the bodies, and throw the ashes into the river, but being too poor to buy the fuel necessary to consume the bodies, they appeased their consciences by charring the remains, and throwing them into the river. These corpses were so numerous that at the mission station a man was kept specially to rink the bodies which were left stranded on the shore. The nuisance was at length obviated by the erection of a public cinerator ' Or cremator. The Temple of Kali was described, and a lesson drawn from the case of an accomplished Hindoo scholar, who, after graduating with honors in history, was still a devotee of the heathen goddess. The Bishop, accompanied by the Rev. Mr French, since then appointed Bishop of Lahore, left for the city of Agra, Which was their destination, ’On the way they visited Benares, of which a graphic description was given, and the lecturer drily Stated what the natives believe to be a fact, that to die in this holy city means instant transferrence to eternal bliss, however Wicked the person who dies. The privilege, he intimated, was purely local, and did not extend beyond the city's bounds—if one died on the other side of the river be would be born again in the form of an ass! The work of the two colleagues was to found a college, and the lecturer gave an interesting account of tvhat be afterwards described as the building Of a bridge between the West and East, or the teaching of the English language to the natives, so that they might receive the Gospel. They were not without their difficulties, for their Mohammedan opponents fought them gith their own weapons and appointed persons to preach against and argue with them, One of these wranglers had been a brilliant scholar at the college, and used his knowledge against his teachers, but subsequently this young man was converted and rose to be a Doctor of Divinity. Missionary life is at all times varied, and so the lecturer found, and Interested bis hearers with fiumerous anecdotes' of those stirring times. Among the many interesting stories told by the lecturer was one of a man who had for years gone about burdened with a heavy piece of iron round his neck, and it prevented his lying down to sleep. The man had taken this great discomfort on himself until he should collect enough to pay ojj a church debt. He (the Bishop) Wasglad that no such application could be made in connection with the new building with which Mr Ward's name was so Closely identified, He wqs in Engjand at the time of the mutiny, but Mr French remained in Agra, and ao illns trriive incident of tha man’s character was related by the Bishop. Qu the mutiny breaking out those who o6uld retired into the fort of Agra and the gates were closed, Amongst those who came to crave admission Were the inhabitants of Seeundra, a Christian Village, These Christians found the gates looked, and some dissension arising between the military and civil powers they were refused admission. This condemned them to almost certain death, and as soon as Mr French heard this cruel decision he at once intimated his intention of goiog put to them, as he considered his place was with his flock, and if they were to die, he would die with them. He went ppt. This was a move the officials were net prepared for, and after a further and anxious debate it was at length resolved that the Christians should be admitted. The wisdom of the changed resolution was found out later when all the Hindoos in the fort deserted and went over to the mutineers. The Christians were then needed to protect the fort. In 1863 Bishop Stuart made a visitation tour with the Metropolitan of India and Ceylon, and had an excellent opportunity of visiting various points of interest, which he described in picturesque language. The Bishop of Calcutta joined the party, and his chaplain was the present Primate of Australia, with whom the lecturer came into close contact. This town was full of incident which was graphically detailed, and the Bishop concluded his interesting lecture By a reference to mission work in India, Bast and present. He was of opinion that the true way to Christianize India is to build Ups native church which shall bo selfspverning, self-supporting and self extending- This, he said, was the policy now adopted, and it was having excellent results. Where they could boast of only three native teachers in the north of India in bis day, the last year's returns of one society—the Church Missionary—gave the number of teachers at JoO, and this was only one society, whi ! e the *>ma return showed that there were 118,000 ce warts. The native pastors had better opfirtunities of reaching the people than had uropeans, and it would eventually ba through their own ministers that the Indian gtop'e would be brought to see the Light, Bishop Heber's hymn “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” was then sung, and the Blebop having pronounced the Benediction, the audience dispersed, highly pleased that they bad come to hear such an interesting botarOf