The Story Of The Bishops Williams

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Story Of The Bishops Williams

of ill" Maori missions conic into it- from IMarsden to Selwyn, and his eontempor]n the narratives of visitation tours there. are many incidents of general interest. The ' present reviewer has a strav niemorv rroin 1000 of two "l-ea't and venerable figures. Sir John Ciorst and Bishop W. L. Williams, walkin,- and down the S|«i lawns at Taupo, engaged i" aninmted conversation. It was (Joist's last visit to New Zealand, more than forty years after his of employment by Sir (.corgi llrey's Covernment as coininissioner at

"Da you ihinl( I am an ass? "No, bill I might easily be mistaken

To Awamntn before the Maori War. The book contains an excellent portrait of the bishop, at tlmt time aped 77—it was 10 vears before his death. The biographer closely follows up tho career of Willi nil Leonard after lie graduated 11.A. at Oxford ill 1.5.V2. When lie returned to Xew Zealand, to follow m the steps of his father, he became particularly interested ill the training of Maori bovs, "and lie was presently, after much hard work, in charge of the school established at Waerenga-a-Hika, six miles from Turanganui Hav. The Maori people assisted, liberally in its establishment, •rivin" land of excellent quality to the. extent of 507 acres. There was school in the morning, and manual labour, ploughing, fencing and carpenters' work in the afternoon.-v Leonard Williams remained until tho JTauhau War in 1805 necessitated tho tenipornrv abandonment of tbo station. The siege'of Waerenga-n-Hika l'a. ending in the surrender of several hundreds or Maoris, occurred close to the mission station. Besides the story of the institution at Wacrenga-a-llika, there is much information about To Auto College, and the Itiikarero College, Napier, for JLiori girls. All the Williams family were of tho hardy pioneer typo, for they wero called upon in tho course of their labours to travel much m rough country and to turn their hands to many things as leaders of their people. Many of their tours involved danger and privations, in small craft around the coast, and ill unroaded places and across unbridged rivers. . Such, a book required a good index, and nil excellent one of eight pages is supplied. ■*>