NEW ZEALAND AUTHORSHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21994, 1 July 1933, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND AUTHORSHIP

MR BUICK’S “THE TREATY OF WAITANGI ” "The Treaty of Waitangi: How New Zealand Became a British Colony.’* By T. Lindsay Buick, C.M.G., F.B.Hlst.S. Illustrated. New Plymouth; Thomas Avery and Sons. (fci nC " The Briton at Home: Impressions of a Visit to Great Britain." By Thomas C. List. New Plymouth: Taranaki Dally. News. (5s net.) It ig due to the remarkable public spirit, generously expressed in practical form, of the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe that the site of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi has been secured as a permanent trust for the people of the Dominion of New Zealand. With their Excellencies’ gift fresh in mind, New Zealanders are bound to have experienced a quickening of interest in the historic treaty which established the sovereignty of this country and the rights of the Native race. The time is particularly suitable for the appearance of a new edition of “ The Treaty of Waitangi,” by Mr Lindsay Buick, the value of whose works on New Zealand, was acknowledged this month in the inclusion of his name among the recipients of King’s Birthday honours. The first edition of this book was published prior to the war, and the volume has been out of print for some years, copies having commanded appreciated prices at book sales. For the new edition Mr Lindsay Buick hag undertaken a considerable amount of extra research and rewriting, and while the story stands substantially the same this book may be said to supersede the earlier in authority. One of the questions on which the author has satisfied himself is that Hone Heke was the first chief to sign the treaty, which he did in English, with loyal avowals that were later refuted in the insurrection of his authorship. Mr Lindsay Buick mentions in his foreword that one problem remains with only an approximate solution, the location of the spot on which sovereignty over Stewart Island was declared. He has gone into this question fully, but can only suggest the probable bay, owing to the obvious confusion of names in early documents. He adds whimsically: “Until someone with the necessary resources at their command can go down to Southern Port and dig for the bottle in which the original copy, of the declaration is buried, I doubt if we will ever be able to determine with any degree of accuracy the position of this historic spot.” This valuable work in its revised form contains illustrations that did not pear in the original. One of them, of

the Waitangi Falls, bears witness to the capacity of the Governor-General as amateur photographer, and New Zealand artists and the Turnbull and _ Hocken Libraries have contributed their share of interesting pictures. Another addition is a reduced facsimile of a page of the treaty. The edition is well produced, and is limited to 500 copies, 100 of which have been purchased by Lord Bledisloe.

"The Briton at Home” Mr List’s “ The Briton at Home,” the record of his observations and reflections as a visitor •to Great Britain in 1930, was first issued for private circulation, when it received a notice in these columns. The author has now been induced to send out his work in an enlarged form for perusal by the public. They will find in it much that is worth while, for Mr List has not confined his observations to the expression of _ the stereotyped emotions Which all _ Britons must experience when they “ discover England and Scotland for themselves.' As a delegate to the Imperial Press Conference he received opportunities that do not often fall to the lot even of the native Englishman of meeting prominent people,. attending interesting functions, and visiting historic buildings which, are not always open to the casual sightseer. There are sketches of famous contemporaries which occasionally enable the reader a glimpse behind the scenes of parliamentary and press life; there are descriptions of hallowed places and comments on famous Englishmen of the past which, if frequently derivative, are given fresh interest as,coming, from the pen of an observant and ’ informed New Zealander. MG.