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Samuel Ironside Diaries- The Wairau Incident 10th February 1843 - 9th March 1843

Last Modified: 27-9-2023 21:50

10th February 1843 This morning the German missionaries have left in a small schooner for the Chatam Islands - providence appeared wonderfully in their behalf & their way is opened to a promising filed of labour. We have also said "Good bye" to a number of natives from Banks Peninsular. They came here soley for the purpose of seeing a Missionary and hearing of Christ. This is indeed a very interesting race of people - a part of the NGAITAHU tribes - They have no Missionary, but have had a young man from this neighbourhood residing among them for some time & chapels are built, schools are planted & the services of Christianity conducted regularly through the district. Were our mission funds in a better state. I should strongly urge our having a station there on our committee. The place is about midway between Mr. Watkins and this & is at least 150 miles distant, too far to visit in a boat and there is no road overland. Having had frequent opportunities of meeting, in class, these strangers for the four months they have been here & being fully satisfied with their state. I admitted 9 of them to the sacred ordinance of Baptism a fortnight ago. May their return home prove beneficial to their neighbours!

March 6 (1843) In two or three nights past our attention has been directed to a beautiful stream of white light shooting up from the horizon to a height of say 20 degrees. It appears in W.S.W. and shoots up in an oblique direction, westerly. It appears about a foot in diameter. Our natives are much trouble at its appearance. We suppose it the Aurora Australia, thus it's appearance so much to the westward puzzles us. We have also had very heavy gales from the N.W. for a few days but whether or not these gales are in anyway connected with the luminous appearance we cannot tell. The pillar of light is beautifully transparent, the stars whose position it crossed being visible. Thru it. "The heavens declare the glory of God & the firmament showeth forth his handy work." But in Christ "the glory of god is still more richly displayed for there we read of mercy for fallen man, on which deeply momentous subject, creation is silent.

9th (March 1843) - The beautiful stream of white light turns out to be the tail of a comet 4 - but it must be of immense size - the tail cannot be less than 30 degrees long & at its first appearance it was of amazing brightness. I had not expected to see a comet of such size, but it "declares the Glory of God", as well as all the rest of the heavenly order.

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Samuel Ironside Diaries- The Wairau Incident 10th February 1843 - 9th March 1843. (2023) Retrieved March, 29, 2024, from https://www.marlboroughonline.co.nz/marlborough/information/history/samuel-ironside-diaries-the-wairau-incident/samuel-ironside-ii-63

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