He was a man entirely devoted to his duty, counting nothing of
trouble or reward. We worked hand in hand. During an illness in New
Zealand, I drew out a constitution, such as I believed would best suit
the Church of England there. Broadly, it came into operation, and in a
speech, when he was leaving New Zealand, Selwyn told of its origin.'
You seek life pictures, rather than any chronology of dates, and
therefore to a second incident of Sir George and Selwyn on tramp. They
were in the Taupo range of mountains, and their supply of food had run
very short. By the borders of Lake Taupo they sighted the house of a
Maori chief who, being absent, had shut it up. Believing he might find
inside a stay to their wants, Sir George forced the door, and after that
a cupboard. In it were rice and sugar and other supplies, which he
exhibited to Selwyn with the triumphant shout, 'Here, I'll make you a
present of all this!'
'I'm afraid,' the Bishop gently remonstrated, 'that there will be trouble
about our doings. You see we have really broken into somebody's house.'
'Oh, no,' Sir George reassured him, 'I know the chief who owns the place,
and he would give us part of himself.' On the following day they met the
chief, as he was returning home at the head of a string of his men.
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