nothing else, and was served out in liberal quantities, to dogs as well as Christians, three times a day. There are six natives living here,” he continues, “two men and four women. They are of the Wesleyan Church, and apparently very punctual and zealous in their worship.”
After a sojourn of six days they constructed a raft of the blossom sticks of flax and so crossed the lagoon, walking on a further four miles to another stream. There they were obliged to erect a shelter, very bad weather setting in.
On the last day of October they were still sheltering and the natives proposed returning to Okarito for divine service on the Sunday. To this Brunner agreed, knowing, he states, “that we should get a good dinner and more comfortable lodging there.” The explorer here comments most interestingly on the religious fervency of the Maoris: “I am much astonished,” he mentions, “to find that even in these distant parts so much should be said by the natives belonging to the Church of England, and the Wesleyans, relative to their form of religion. Although in some places there are only six or eight natives, yet they have two places of worship and two schools; and are always quarrelling about religion, each party asserting its way to be the proper service to God. There are some few who have been christened by the Revd. C. L. Reay and a few
