MAORIS AND SLAVERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21552, 25 July 1933, Page 10

MAORIS AND SLAVERY

OLD-TIME CUSTOM AN INTERESTING BOOK What is believed to be the only copy of a book written by the Rev. John Whitele.v over 80 years ago in existence is in the hands of a grandson of the author, Mr. Harold Rawson, of New Plymouth. It is a small book, containing only <l7 pages, but it is printed closely and contains much matter. At the time the book was published, in 1817, there was a certain amount of slavery among the Maoris, the slaves being mostly prisoners of war. In .an effort to eradicate this Mr. Whitelcy wrote this book in Maori and distributed it among the natives. It was printed by Mr. John Williamson, Auckland. It is interesting to note, lays the Taranaki Herald, that the only words in the entire publication which are not in Maori arc "John Williamson." The majority of the copies were distributed in the Waikato, for there were many slaves in that district, taken there by the Waikato tribes. The translation of the title of the book is "Peace, Peace. It is well that Peace be Established." flic book has been in the hands of Mr. Rawsoii since the death of his mother, a daughter of Mr. Whitelcy, and recently he decided to translate it into English. Owing to illness he has been able to do only a little at a time and has accomplished the work in several weeks. .Mr. Rawson himself is a Maori scholar and found little need to refer to a dictionary. Some reference was made necessary, however, through there being in the book a, number of words and phrases which have gone out of common usage and have become obsolete.