HBH 1892 Aug 2 Page 4 AUBERT **NB by Elaine-typed as written A trip up the Wanganui River-From the Otago Witness. When we reached Hruharama (Jerusalem) we went ashore to pay our respects to Sister Mary Joseph, whose name and fame have recently been blazoned forth in the chemists' shops and advertising columns of the newspapers of the Colony. We found the old lady at home dispensing medicinal aid to a number of waiting Natives in front of the Mission buildings, where there is a level grassy space over-shadowed by well-grown oaks of no inconsiderable size. We found her to be a pleasant, shrewd old Frenchwoman, speaking English with a slight foreign accent, and she received us graciously. Asking us to excuse her for a few minutes, she attended to the wants of the waiting Maoris, and then invited us to inspect the schoolroom. She informed us that it was a difficult matter to do much with the Maori children, as they are subjected to little if any, parental control, being free to go to school or run wild as they list, and they choose the latter alternative-as I fear most children, whether white or dusky, would if left to their own sweet will. The good sisters, of whom there are eight, have some half dozen white children of vicieus parents as the nucleus of their school, and we saw these children at play in the sunshine, looking healthy and happy. The old lady informed us that progress was rather slow, but that they had influenced the Maoris for good. A neat little church, with a lofty, tapering spire, stands on an elevation above the village, forming a pleasing feature in the landscape, and is a monument to the self denying labours of the sisterhood by means of which the funds have been recently provided for its erection, the former church having been burnt down not long ago. Besides the nuns there is a missionary priest resident here, who occasionally visits Ranana, where there is also a little church. The Rev. Father has also another flock besides his dusky parishioners, as he owns 700 acres of land which he has acquired from the natives, and which has been cleared of bush and sown down in English grass. Sister Mary hospitably presented us with some enormous and delicious apples, besides a glass of raspberry vinegar and water.