cials.[5] But the new
bishop was not minded to become a dignified ornament of the Wellington
settlement. To build his new Jerusalem he needed "an entrenched camp,"
and for this he must have a spiritual atmosphere, and he must have
living material and suitable buildings. Instead, therefore, of going to
the colonial south, he turned first in the direction of the missionary
north. In less than a month after his arrival in his diocese, he had
reached the Bay of Islands; he had captivated Henry Williams (who wrote,
"I am afraid to say how delighted I am"); and had resolved to make his
entrenched camp at Waimate, the most eligible and beautiful of the
missionary stations. Here were fertile land and a farming establishment;
here was a school for missionaries' children, which he might easily
convert into a college; here was a church whose spire rose gracefully
above the surrounding trees; here was a religious atmosphere already in
existence.

[5] For the right understanding of the subsequent history, the
following extract from a letter of Gibbon Wakefield to Mr. J. R.
Godley (Dec. 21st, 1847) is of the utmost importance: "I really cannot
tell you what the Bishop of New Zealand is. His see was _created_ by
us in spite of many obstacles put in our way by the Church and the
Government. Indeed, we forced the measure on the Melbourne Government;
and in that measure originated all the new Colonial bishoprics. If our
views had been taken up by the Church, great results would have been
obtained both for the Church and colonisation. I will not say that Dr.
Selwyn turned round upon us, and joined our foes, the anti-colonising
'Church Missionary Society'; but I am sure he is not a wise man."

But the bishop had no intention of leaving the European settlements
untended. Before forming his central establishment at Waimate, he
undertook a thorough visitation of his diocese, or at least of every
part of it in which church work was being carried on. In order to
appreciate the magnitude of his task, it will be well to take a
bird's-eye view of the whole scene.

The North Island was by this time fairly well known. Though the Maori
race had been terribly reduced in numbers since the coming of Marsden in
1814, still their _pas_ were to be found in every fertile bay round the
coast, up every river valley, and round the lakes of the interior. Large
areas of uninhabited country were to be found in the inland regions, but
thes