LATE ELSDON BEST

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 104, 29 October 1931, Page 7

LATE ELSDON BEST

HARBOUR BOARD'S TRIBUTE

Reference was made at last night's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board to the death last month in Wellington of Mr; Elsdon Best, the wellknown Maori historian and ethnologist. On the motion of the acting-chairman (Mr. H. D. Bennett), the board, placed on record its deep sense. of the country's loss by the death of Mr. Best. . Mr. Bennett said that the late Mr. Best was the author of "The Discovery and Re-discoyery of Wellington Bar-, bour," -which was .published by the board, with Mr. Best's permission, in booklet form in 1918, and revised and included in: its year books of later, date. By his courtesy the board was able to reproduce in its year book the map compiled by. Mr. Best, showing the. routes of entry; an.d some recorded voyages of the Polynesian's in the Pacific Ocean, which had appeared in the American "Geographical Review." Mr.. Best was also author of "The Land of Tara, and They who r Settle It;" being the story, said Mr. Bennett, of the occupation of. Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara (the. Great Harbour of ;Tara), or Port Nicholson, by the Maoris.