BOOK NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 176, 25 June 1938, Page 9

BOOK NOTES

.LIFE OF A PIONEER. n To the growing wealth of records if of New Zealand’s pioneers lias been if added yet another very acceptable k contribution, and one 'which is ceri- tain to arouse the interest and admiration of readers who appreciate t this virile type of literature. Under o the modest title of “Robert Maunu sell, LL.D., a New Zealand Pioneer,” 3 lies buried a mine rich in historic - worth and abounding in intrigueing Y reading, ably compiled so as to earn s a high place in publications of the > kind. Memories are short, no less in ecclesiastical history than in other splipros, and the writers, Messrs H. " E. ’ft. L. Wily- and H. Maunsell, have ' performed a service to the Church of 3 England in particular and the Domin--3 ion in general, in weaving from the meagre records available a fuscinat- ' ing account of the life and work of 3 one of the leading figures in early J Church life in New Zealand. Robert ’ Maunsell came to the colony as a j young mail of 25 in the year 1835, with his young wife, and this book is an eloquent record of achievement. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was the translation of the Old Testament into the Maori language, and the making of a dictionary, a task - that received a severe setback when ■ fire destroyed the partly-finished work, requiring many more years of ■ laborious toil, characteristic of a man i who commanded universal respect and exercised no small influence on the • natives. Readers will appreciate the * worth of the contribution of letters written Home by the devoted young wife of the missionary. There is all the charm peculiar to the times, and they are' a sheer delight, revealing con- ! siderable descriptive ability on the part of Mrs Maunsell, who was fated to pass away at an early age. The major portion of the book is based on reports to the Church Missionary Society and affords a valuable authoritative record of an obscure period of our history.—The book is one of the New Zealand series being published by Messrs A. H. and A. W. Reed, from whom our copy was received, and who are to be congratulated on their production. “A DRAM OF POISON.” It is not difficult to guess the theme of Marr Jackson’s detective novel, “A Dram of Poisonthe title is a straight-out indication of the kind of fare to which the reader may look forward. But, although the wrapper is sufficient to convey what may be either an invitation to or a warning against murder, it is necessary to read the book to realise how ably the author has handled his story, with what craft he lias mingled poisoning and unselfish motives, detection, and the dignity of a powerful and old ilyIn the best manner, Mr Jackson wastes no time in getting down to the real purpose of the book; the first chapter shows the members of the ancient Hamer family gathered together at Vere, the family seat, in honour of Sir Ranal Hamer, who next day will attain his majority. The same chapter ends with the young baronet ■ falling dead at the dinner table after having sipped from a glass of port. The investigations subsequent to this sudden death are long, involved, but never wearisome. The local police call in Scotland Yard, but Chief Inspector Thompson retires baffled. Lady Elizabeth Hamer, the dead baronet’s aunt, then commissions John Appleyard, late of the Yard, to carry on the investigations, feeling certain that none of the Hamer family could possibly have perpetrated such a crime. But even when Appleyard’s assistant, Clive Lucas, is introduced into Vere, weeks pass without any progress being made; it is only when Lucas stumbles on one small fact, 1 nearly losing his life, in the process, that things begin - to move again, and Scotland; Yard, interested once more, re-enters, the case, re-engaging Appleyard to conduct the new line of investigation. Towards the end the story gathers impetus. Another death occurs, and this, as is. ; usually the case, leads to the discovery of the person responsible for the first murder. “MARSDEN OF MAORILAND.” . : New Zealand from its earliest days had a Greatheart watching over its destinies. The fact that ho was generally insufficiently recognised in the role at the time, and that the intervening century has done comparatively little to pay the homage due in full measure, are matters for regret, but that his memory is being perpetuated in the Dominion’s literature gives rise to satisfaction. In a splendid volume, evidently compiled as the result of painstaking research, and written in a most fascinating manner, Mr A. H. Reed, of Dunedin, has enshrined the life and deeds of Samuel Marsden in a record that bears promise of ranking among the

most authoritative and comprehensive works of its kind. The great Marsden is “Greatheart” to the author, from the time he sets out as a young man in his . ’twenties to accept a chaplaincy at the Port Jackson convict settlement till he closes a crowded life of 73 years while still actively engaged in a mission of service to humanity. Far from being a mere recital of the trials and achievements of an earnest ecclesiastic placed in the midst of a savage people, it is the magnificent saga of a life generously given to the welfare of the Maori people and their ready response to the practical example of an upright and kindly Christian gentleman. Mr Reed is particularly gifted for undertaking so important a publication, especially on the eve of the centennial celebrations. His knowledge of Maori history and his ready understanding of the difficulties encountered by the missionaries, coupled with a generous appreciation of the worth of their labours, provides a fine basis on which to erect a vital history, which it is certain will be read with avid interest. Written in a homely way, and encompassing not a few enlightening allusions to the colonising methods in New South Wales, as well as surveying exhaustively the relations between the Maoris and the first white people to frequent our own shores, “Marsden Of Maoriland” cannot but appeal to all for whom these years hold much of romance. It contains a noteworthy foreword penned by the Bishop of Waiapu shortly before his death, in' which he fittingly pays a tribute to the workmanship of Mr Reed, who has brought to light an entrancing volume.—Our copy is from Messrs A. H. and A. W. Reed, Dunedin.