A BOOK LOVER

LATE SIR JOSEPH KINSEII

FRIEND OF CAPTAIN SCOTTi

The death of Sir Joseph Kinsey was announced in a Christchurch Prcs'^ Association message which appeared in. "The Post" on Tuesday. •

"The late Sir Joseph Kinsey* writes Mr, Johannes Andersen, "was so closely in touch with the various Antarctic expeditions that both officers and men were constantly at his housa when they were in Lyttelton. He had every edition: of the various books relating .to the voyages—most of then* autographed, some of them autograph* ed by every member of the expedition/ He also had editions which api peared subsequently to the death' o{ Captain Scott, which were sent- to. him by Scott's widow, and autographed by, her, continuing the . sequence ■ already, in his possession. "

"So closely was he connected with. Scott that Scott's message •to Kinsey was almost the last thing he-wrote in his journal on tha% fateful journeywhen he lost his life.. On the journal,' when recovered, being sent to England, these two pages being of such-an intimate 'nature, were cut ..out and returned to Sir Joseph, and are now in his 'Warrimoo' Library.' His collection' of Antarctic literature-is - one ot the finest extant. ............. SAMUEL BUTLER. "He also specialised in various phases of English literature, and his collection of modern English writers is very full and very valuable. It in a way forms a complementary collection to the Turnbull Library; the Turnbull being rich in the older English writers and the 'Warrimoo' rich in modern writers who in course of time will become older writers and valuable accordingly. He also specialised in particular in the works of Samuel Butler, with the result that he has first editions of most of the works, and subsequent editions as well; and, besides this, many manuscript .letters from. Butler to well-known people such as the late Mr. Justice Alpers. There is no doubt that this collection- of Butler is the finest extant, for several details that Hoppe, the bibliographer of Butler, missed in that volume could hay« been supplied to him from the colleo« tion at 'Warrimoo.' MARK TWAIN. "He collected not only books, but objects of art, etchings, pictures, and all manner of beautiful things. One instance might be given. When' he was visited by Mark Twain, that gentleman, just before leaving, expressed a regret that he had not secured an ornithofhynchus, as he would like to have taken it to America with him. 'Oh,* said Sir Joseph; went to a cupboard, and with his bundle of 100 or 200 keys, he opened a drawer, took out a dry. skin, came and presented it to Marie Twain, saying, 'There is an ornithorhynchus for you.' Mark Twain notes this in his book, saying that on his leaving 'Warrimoo,' Sir Joseph present, ed him with an ormthbrhynchus, 'which he was taming.' "Sir Joseph was not. only a collector, but a generous collector. A good book might be published; and Sir Joseph would buy not one but from "half a dozen to a dozen copies. -In-a;few years, however, he had only one or, two copies left; the rest he gave to persons visiting him who showed, that they were interested in books, or Sir Joseph bnew were genuine lovers oC books. I know that he had a number of copies of Hamilton's 'Maori Art,* and gave away ten of these at various times —this being a book worth £10. On another occasion he bought threa copies of Hudson's 'Moths and Butterflies,' worth £10 10s each. . Of thess he gave away two'to young collectors who could not afford such luxuries.

" 'Warrimoo' was an open house to visiting-celebrities of all.kinds; peopla like Mark Twain, Conan Doyle, other writers, actors, singers—all were welcome, and most of them kept in touch, by letter with Sir Joseph and .Lady Kinsey for years after they had. left New Zealand. The visitors' book at 'Warrimoo* is a most interesting boole to read; and tucked away somewhere among the treasures are letters from all these notable people who visited New Zealand. In the case of Marie Twain, when he himself died, the correspondence was continued by hi» daughter. Sir Joseph was unobtrusive, but he was a genuine collector,. and ■ a good friend to other collectors'- an 4! book lovers."