OLD MAORI DRAWINGS BY TOOI AND TITERREE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10413, 10 April 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD MAORI DRAWINGS BY TOOI AND TITERREE.

At the last annual missionary breakfast of the London Missionary Socioty, in the Y.M.C.A. rooms, some months ago, the Rev. J. King, of the London Missionary Society, caused a mild sensation when he held up to the gaze of the assemblage a budget of the correspondence of the. Rev. Samuel Mursden, the pioneer missionary of New Zealand, also loiters from tho two fir.'t Maori converts ono dated November 4,1818, written by Titerree to Mr. Hassell, son of one of the ship Duff missionaries, and the pther by Tooi, dated January IG, ISI9, apparently written in London, and addressed to Mr. Hnncox, Oxford-street. iii; C. W, Greenwood, of Lower Mataknna, a son of tho late Mr. Wm. Greenwood, of Bpsom, saw tho above statement, and wrote to tho HijRALD stating that" he had somo drawings by Titerree and Tooi, apparently done by them while on their visit to Kngl&nd, presented to the Rev. G. S. Bull, and subsequently given to my father, the late Mr. Wm. Uroenwooil, on hia leaving England for New Zealand in tho year 1540." Mr. Greenwood then quotes the endorsement on the drawings, given elsewhere. During l)r. Hockeu's recent visit to Auckland the drawings were shown to him, and the Dr. stated that he believod he could furnish some explanatory particulars concerning them, on reference to documents in his library at Duncdiii. On his return South Dr. Hocken took the drawings with him, and Mr*. Hocken has executed facsimiles of thorn for the dootor's collection presented lataly to the city of Dunedin. Dr. Hocken made careful research in the documents in his collection, and sends us tho following interesting particular concerning Titoroe and Tooi and the drawings :

DR. HOCKIS'S EXPLANATORY ACCOUNT. In accordance with your wish 1 have much pleasure in giving an account of "Tooi" (Tui) and of "Teoterrea" (Titiri), who visited England in ISIB, and of the various drawings made whilst there by the former, and which were until recently in the possession of tho late Mr. Greenwood, who died last year at Auckland. "Korrokorro" (Korokoro) was Tui's oldor brother. Tiie throe were young chiefs belonging to the eastern part of the Bay of Islands, near Rangihou, where the first missionary settlement was established. For two or three yoars they had resided with the Rev. Samuel Marsden, ab Parramatta, in New South Wales, where that most zealous and pious man had founded a home or institution for such New Zealanders as visited Botany Bay in the whalers. By this means he not only exercised a beneficial influence over the natives, but ho was hotter able to carry on his scheme o! spreading the Gospel amongst them and of protecting the missionaries. On thoir return to New Zealand Tui and Titiri became fired with the desire to visit England and to gain information in that wonderful country. Mr. Marsden fostered the idea, especially as he considered that the two could give valuable aid in the compilation of a much-needed New Zealand vocabulary. Tui was remarkably quick, and spoko English fairly well. This work was afterwards carried out, in 1820, by tho Rev. Samuel Lee, of Cambridge, who possessed a wonderful linguistic faculty, and who was consequently of great service to the Churcii Missionary Society in preparing grammars and vocabularies of different languages for the use of the missionaries. The two sailed for England in tho H. M. brig Kangaroo, Lieutenant Jeffries, and arrived at London in February, 1818, As might bo expected, they were soon prostrated by the inclement climate, and suffered sevorely from bronchial affection. Hero it was that Mr. Bull, whose name is connected with tho drawings, nursed them. On their recovery they were placed under tho kind care of a clergyman in Shropshire, with whom thoy remained for four months, until indeed tlioir departure for homo. Here they wore interested and amazed with evorythine they saw; occasionally they Wore exhibited ab missionary mootinge, doubtless with much advantage to the cause. "Thoy loturno'l to New South Wales in tho convict ship Baring, and were place under charge of the Rev. John Gare Bubier, one of the earliest ordained missionaries, and more than 20 years later one of tho Now Zealand Company's settlers, and father-in-law of the late Mr. Barton, of the Wairarapa. Messrs. Francis Hall, the schoolmaster, and James Kemp wero fellow passengers. The vessel ran aground and did not finally leave the EiiL'liah shores until the 27th of January, 1819, During her detontion poor Tui was again taken seriously ill. They arrived at Sydney on the 26th of Juno, and after anothor sojourn with the hospitable Mr. Marsden, proceeded with that gontloman to the Bay of Islands in February, 1820, in H.M.s. Dromedary, Captain Skinner. Much waa now hoped for and expected by Mr. Marsdeu from tho travelled pair, butsuch hopes were destined to receive the rudest disappointment. Ab this timo tho great warrior chief Hongi Hika—the Napoleon of Now Zealand—was in tho very zenith of his fame, and was actively engaged in dociinating his countrymen. Korokoro was waging war with varying success against his groab rival. Tho temptation was too great, and thab love of war which was innate with the New Zealander was more than Tui could withstand; ho joined bis brother with heart and soul, to the great grief and chagrin of Mr. Marsden and the mission. Titiri, who was altogether an inferior character, relapsed also. Korokoro, though still engaged in fighting, died in 1823 a natural death, and was succeeded as leader by Tui. The end of the latter was sufficiently painful. He grew sick of a war in which he was unsuccessful, and of which, to use his phrase, he had had a bellyful. Ho became worn with illness and starvation, and in this plight he was taken on board the whaler Wary by Captain Lopk, who long had known him. Horo his kind friend provided him with food and rest and medical attendance. These were of little avail, and uttering useless regrets Tui died on October 17,1824. In his ' Ten Months' Residence in New Zealand,' Major Cruise speaks of Korokoro's perfidious conduct, and of Tui as worthless and profligate. "The Rev. G. S. Bull was originally a schoolmaster, and in each capacity went oub in 1818 to Africa to take charge of certain inission schools. Prior to his departure he nursed the invalid New Zealanders as stated above, and it was during thia illness that Tui made the drawings of which we shall now speak, and which are now doposited by Mr. Greenwood's relatives in the Public Library at Auckland. They are upon four sheets, two of which are illustrated on both sides. The drawings are in ink, and repreeonb four war canoesr which are well done if the absence of perspective be ignored; several weapons of war—a tewhatewha, mere, patu, sling, and pouwhenua ; two kites ; and a beautifullyexecuted tatoo of his brother, entitled ' Korra Korra's Face, by T. Tooi—given to G. S. Bull, and by him to W. Greenwood., On one of the sheets is written, 'When Tooi and Teeterree were in England they were very ill and George Bull, a clergyman, was then ab the Missionary House in London, and I nursed them and they loved me for being kind to them. I hope their relations will be kind to William Greenwood for ho is a good man and will nob cheat them,— George S. BuiiL." " Mr. Bull, on his return from Africa, was ordained a clereman of the Church of England, perhaps aboub 18'J3. It is apparenb that Mr. Bull's present of these drawings with his iraprimStur was to be used as letters conciliatory and introductory to any cannibals with 'whom bis friend mighb meet in the then little known country of New Zealand." , These quainb Maori drawings, on their being returned from Dunedin by Dr. Hocken, were forwarded to His Worship the Mayor by G. M. Main (Herald staff) on behalf of Mr. C. W. Greenwood, of Lower Matakana, to be placed in the Grey collection in the Free Public Library,,