BOOK NOTICES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4313, 23 March 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOK NOTICES.

A CONTRIBUTION- TO NEW ZEALAND HISTORY

/l Okl Marlborough; or the Story of a Province.” By T. Lindsay .buick, J.P., M.H.R. for Wairau,, 1890-93, ( Palmerston North : Hart and Keeling. Not a moment too soon—for early records arc difficult to obtain and nothing is more treacherous than the human memory when dealing systematically with events long past—Mr Buick has undertaken the work of collecting ifio facts connected with # the discovery and settlement of the province of Marlborough. Small though that provincial district is, it possesses many features of interest. It played an important part in the early history of New Zealand, ana as Mr Buick remarks, Marlborough “has a political record of which she has no reason to be ashamed, for as she was served at home by maaiy able men, she has also sent to the counsels of the colony ethers who have obtained, because they deserved, the respect and confidence' of their fellow-members, for amongst her Parliamentary representatives there can at least bo counted a Speaker, two Deputy-Speakers, three Ministers and an Attorney-General while the gentlemen who hold the responsible offices of clerks to both Houses were former residents -of the province.’' In a volume of some five hundred pages the author of “Old Marlborough” has set forth the history of the district in a form as attractive as it is exhaustive. It is emphatically an early history, for the ugh it brings down the record .of events to the year 1890, by far the greater portion, of the space is devoted to events that occurred prior to 1860. The nine chapters into which tl*» work is divided are headed respectively, “Divine Architecture,” “The Ancient

i Pit Dwellers,” “The Coming of the • Maori,” “The Day .of Discovery,” “The '■ Raids of To Rauparaha,” “Sinners and , Saints,” “The Wairau Massacre,” “The ■ Pioneers” and “The New Province.” Those headings are all self-explanatory, • save one, and it is only necessary to say that the chapter entitled “Sinners and Saints” deals with tho transition period when rude whalers and truculent Maorisi wore brought under the refining influence of gospel preachers. Ilia opening section of the book “Divine Architecture.” is devoted to a description of the geological features of Marlborough ; and it must be confessed that Mr Buick has succeeded admirably in presenting in popular language a vivid picture of the age-long operations of Nature which resulted in producing a country so full of interest to tho scientist, of value to the exploiter and of beauty to the tourist. This division is marked by the ablest execution, so far as literary power and grace are concerned. It may be said that throughout Mr Buick’s style is good, his English terse and lucid, his arrangement all that could be desired. His research, his workmanship, his moderation his anxiety to deal out strict and evenhanded justice, ail qualify him for the work he lias undertaken, and it may be hoped that ho will be enabled to complete a work so well begun by writing more fully the later history of Marl- - borough. Richest in engrossing interest are the chapters on “Tho Ancient Pit Dwellers' and “Tho Coining of the Maori.” Here Mr Buick shows acute powers of deduction, upon which, in the absence of records, ho must mainly roly for his facts. The very early history of Marlborough is, in fact, inferred from excavations mid stone weapons, and from traditions handed down by the Maoris. It is like reading a romance to learn of how it i ha. - , boon established that the Morions, or some other people who inhabited the regions of the “County of Sounds” in pre-historic times, lived in cave - like dwellings on the hill sides, while they cultivated the flat ground beneath ; and that later on the Maoris, who possessed the land, were in the habit of cremating their dead. Mahakipawa, wellknown as a Marlborough goldfield, is believed to have obtained its Maori name from a superstition connected with 1 ih(f burning of the dead, niter the fire was lighted, if the smoko began to scatter, it was regarded as an ill omen, or that death would soon claim another victim. If, on the contrary, the smoke gently ascended, it was a good omen, the friends standing round calling out ‘AJahaki-paoa! Mahaki-paoa!” (meaning “the smoke rises calmly”), and piliug on more fuel. The story of the Ala.'jri tribal wars, of the Rauparaha raids, the coming of the pakeha, and the Wairau massacre is told in fascinating style: and coming down to the more recent events of colonisation the anther frequently brightens the - historic page by a good anecdote. Tho following, for instance, about a vocci Catholic bullock, I will bear quotation:

At first the school [at Wairau] was maintained by a household tax of £1 per annum; and the secular nature of. the instruction imparted, even at this time, came sharply into conflict with the doctrines of the Catholic Church, some of its members refusing to pay the tax, as a protest against the irreligious character of the teaching, and as a consequence their goods wore sometimes seized and sold to satisfy the claim. A well-remembered instance of this kind occurred when a constable was sent to capture a bullock belonging to Mr Con. Murphy, whose religious scruples would not permit him to contribute towards a system of education in which he did not believe. The bullock evidently entered into the spirit of his master’s objection, and refused to be taken: and being of an athletic temperament ho kept the man in blue chasing him for hours up and down through flax and swamps, until the “bobby,” blown, beaten and thoroughly exasperated, exclaimed, “Confound the Manky bullock, I’ll pay the fine myself.” And pay it he' did, and, thus the difficulty was overcome, to the satisfaction of all parties. No matter to what part of the book re tain, Mr Buick is found to have done hts work as historian with conscientiousness, with a due sense of proportion and with a; good deal of literary ability. It is to the credit of Now Zealand that she has' thus early produced a son who has made a valuable contribution to the History of his native land.' The book as a whole, with its excellent typography and' its seventy illustrations, all well executed, has, we behove, been produced entirely by the labours of young New Zealanders. Were we inclined to be critical, we might say that the faults ,of the work, like its excellencies, are typical of Now Zealand. There are occasional typographical errors that denote a lack ot accuracy; there is colonial looseness of style here and there, as when cattle are called “bovlnes," there is the vicious colonial spelling of “jambed” instead of “jammed”; and there is, ou page 24, the ungrammatical phrase “from whence.” These minor blemishes do not detract from the high merit of Mr Bpick’s work as a whole, which is such as to place the book in che very front rank of works dealing with Now Zealand.

NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS

'“A Boor of To-Day” (Colonial Edition), by George Cossins, price, 2s fid ne.t. Loudon: George Allen. This is a slight story of a young Afrikander who, in the author’s own words, was “too Dutch to be an Englishman, too • English to be a Boer,” and whose life, once full of promise, ended in failure, redeemed by acts of devotion and selfsacrifice. The period of the events dealt with is that between the .Zulu war and the Natal operations in the campaign which is now believed to be near its- end. Jan Van de Venter is the Son of a grazier living near -Middleberg. Being more intellectual in his tendencies than his brothers, he is eduented in Capetown and at Oxford, while they grow up on the veldt, farmers like their father, before them. Jan has the benefit of having sis his guardian Cyrus Pallas, under which name the South African Colossus is very thinly disguis-

I ed. A disappointment in love causes Jan. to return -Vto the Transvaal, arid a misunderstanding leads to his estrangement from his distinguished friend, on whom lie wrongly piles tho blame for a raid made by Dr Tim (another case of shadowy masquerade in the way of nomenclature). When the Boers invade Natal Jan goes with Joubert as a burgher soldier. His brief career closes with tho siege of Ladysmith. The book docs not throw much, light on the position as between Boer and Uitlauder, but it has the merit of putting much that is well-known in a readable form. It does this almost entirely from the British standpoint. Some of the rumours which found currency during the first days of tha war are accepted by the novelist, who cannot be said to deal deeply with his subject. His book is little moro than a popular resume, done in conversational.form, of causes which led up to the war. , . ' '

“Fair Girls arid Gray Horses.” with other verses, by Will. H. Ogilvie. Fourth edition.; Sydney:The “Bulletin” Newspaper Co.

Of ail the books issued by that nursing mother of Australian literature, the Sydney “Bulletin,” Rohe won more immediate and unanimous recognition from the critics than the volume of poems by Will Ogilvie, entitled ‘‘Fair Girls and Gray Horses.” The true poetic feell ing of the author, his mastery of melodious metres, and above all his intimate knowledge of Australian bush life, coupled with tho ability to interpret that life and interfuse through! it the element' of romance, was at’once evident. As proof that the book has gained more than a “success d’estimej” we have now before us a copy of the fourth edition, making an issue of flight fhousaud copies within two years. There can be little doubt of this edition having as rapid a sale as its predecessors, for Ogilvie’s poems are favourites everywhere, and. are certain to command an ever-widen-ing circle of readers..' As a taste of bis quality, we are tempted to quote tho following from “The Bush, my Lover” ;

The loves of earth grow olden Or kneel at seme new shrine; Her locks are always golden, This brave Bush-love-of mine; And for her star-lit beauty, And for her dawns dew-pearled, Her name in love and duty I guard against the world. They curse her desert pluses! How can they underhand', ' Who know not what her face is And never held her hand?— Who may have hoard the mooting Of boughs the wind has stirred, Yet missed the whispered greeting Our listening hearts, have heard.‘ For some have travelled over ■ The long miles at her' side. Yet claimed her nob as lover, Nor thought of bride;' And genie have follof/hd- after Through suniind mist for. years, Nor , held the sunshine laughter, ; Nor guessed the raindrops tears. If w'o some white arms’ folding, Some warm, red mouth should miss— Her hand is ours for holding, Her lips are ours to kiss; > And closer than a lover She shares our lightest breath, And droops her great wings over, To shield us to the death. > And if her droughts are bitter, , Her. dancing mirage vain— Are all things gold tiiat glitter? What pleasure hut hath pain? And since among Love’s blisses Love’s penalties must live. Shall we not take her kisses And 1 , taking them, forgive? The winds of Lawn are roving, The river-oaks astir . What heart were lorn of loving That had no Love hut her? Till last red stars are lighted. And last winds wander west, Her troth and mine are plighted. The Lover I love best. The present volume has an added attraction in the shape of an excellent portrait of the author.

OTHER PDBLICATIOHIS

“The New Zealand Illustrated Magazine" (Arthur Cleave and Co., Auckland) —The March number of this magazine is ono iof tlie best yet issued. The contributions are of interest and importance, while the illustrations are well executed. “The Annexation of the Cook Islands is the title of a -paper by Colonel Gudgeon, in which the writer indicates some of the difficulties and advantages of the abscfrption by New Zealand of the Cook Group. Mr W. G. McDonald, in dealing with the deolin’ra^e * n an article headed The Extinction of the Colonial," admits that the - birth - rato is declining, but denies that “this spells deterioration of the individual or degeneration of the race," and he proceeds at length to make,, good his apothegm. Reminiscences of “Parliament in 1870” are raoily told by Mr George R. Hart, chief reporter of +he Christchurch Press.” Sketchy narratives are published from 1110 pens of Elsdon Best and Mr C. E. S. Gillies, and the usual features of the “Magazine” are well-maintained. In this number are excellent portraits of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, “Windsor Magazine” (Ward, Lock and Co., London). —The leading features cf the February number. of this popular magazine are contributions by Anthony Hope, Barry Pain and E. Phillips Oppenbeim, who contribute short stories of interest and merit. “England’s Free Hand on the Nile,” is the title of an article written by the late G. W. Steevens, the war correspondent who met his death in South Africa last year. This paper is graphically written and splendidly illustrated! with copies of pictures by ; well-known artists. The “Windsor”, for February is altogether well up to the standard of its predecessors.