THE LEGENDS OF THE MAORIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2734, 8 August 1906, Page 16

THE LEGENDS OF THE MAORIS.

A NEW BOOK. CFnoy Our Own Correspondkkt.) WELLINGTON, August 2. News received by recent, mails state that Mr William Dittmer, the Hamburg avti<-t who, during his stay of several years in New Zealand made a special j-tudy of Maori myths and Maori life, has arranged , for both a Gorman'and an English edition of his book "' Tho Tohunga." Tho book is both written and illustrated by Mr Dittmer. Tho lllustiations, which I have myself >-een, aiv remarkable for thoir fantastic originality and* beautiful line work. A proof received from Germany by tin* lasf mail shows that they are being reproduced almost hko ihe original etchings. In Germany the book is to bo printed by tho great firm Breitkopt antT Nortel, of Leipsig-, the most famous firm m Germans'. The English edition is being undertaken by Messrs Routledge. Sir Joseph Ward was so impressed with the book when he saw it in London that he at once, on behalf of the Government, ordered 200 copies of it. Judging from proof specimens to hand it will be the most interesting and' artistic publication regarding Maori lore that has yet been issued from the press. It is quaintly conceived and quaintly executed, the spirit of the? legends as carried out in the line drawings being qnite unique. Mr Malcolm Ross and Mr A. Hamilton (of the Colonial Museum) have kindly undertaken to trans-

mit subscriptions from New Zealanderj^ desirous of obtaining copies of -the firs* editic i in German or in English.