NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE

Otago Witness, Issue 3969, 8 April 1930, Page 69

NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE

SOME NOTABLE BOOKS.

Dy the Rev.

H. J. Fletciieu,

xiv. “A History of New Zealand,” written by Alfred Saunders, was published by Whitcombe and Tombs in 1896. It gives the history of New Zealand from 1642 to the second arrival of Sir George Grey in 1861. Mr Saunders’s preface reads in the first sentence: “ As the first settler who landed from the first immigrant ship that entered Nelson Harbour, on Februaiy 1, 1842, and as the oldest member of the New Zealand House of Representatives at the present date, 1 have often been earnestly requsted to place on record some of the more important events in which, as a public man, I have so long been permitted to take an active and a more or less responsible part.” The first volume contains 467 pages, a portrait of the author and some others. It was followed by a second volume in 1899 which carried on the history to the deaths of the Hon. John Ballance and Sir William Fox in 1893. This contains 558 pages. Dr Ilocken describes the work as “ a heterogeneous assemblage of incident, tediously described and without historic intuition.” While others would subscribe to that statement, yet the incidents are there, and although we maymiss the pleasure derived from a master writer, the book contains many things not recorded elsewhere. - “ Chronicles of the Garden of New Zealand ” is a history of Taranaki from 1830 to 1868. The writer was a journalist. W. 11. J- Seffern, and the book was a reprint from the Taranaki Herald. A large part of the information was from diaries kept by early settlers. The wreck of the Harriet is treated at length. The book is a small 4to of 222 pages in double columns.

“Waikare Moana” (the Sea of Rippling Waters) in a Government publication, written by Mr Elsdon Best. It is an account of a tramp in Tuhoe Land in company with some of the old Maori wise men. The writer tells the story of the land, lake and mountains as de; rived from the learned men of the Maori tribes.

“The Cyclopedia of New Zealand,” is the name applied to a set of books, the first of which was published in 1897, and the last in 1907. Dr Hoeken described the work as “ a valuable pictorial, biographical and historical record.” “ The illustrations are by the hundred, and include portraits of settlers—celebrated, notorious and neither.” It is only an index of persons who subscribed to the work. I was one of the unfortunates stung Instead of being an encyclopaedia, giving information on the thousand and one subjects of the sciences relating to New Zealand, it may be classified as an incomplete, illustrated directory. There was a second-hand set put up for sale recently in Dunedin for any price offered, but it was not sold. The first volume covers the Wellington area with 1527 pages. The second Auckland with 1625 pages. The third Canterbury with 1119 pages. The fourth Otago and Southland with IHS pages, the fifth Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland with 615 pages; the sixth Taranaki and Hawke's Bay with 767 pages. “ The Growth of Empire,” a handbook to the history of Greater Britain, by A. W. Jose, was published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney, in 1897. It is an Bvo book of 444 pages. It is an account of the beginning and growth of British possessions overseas. The portion relating to New Zealand is good, although brief.

“ Papers and Addresses Read Before the First Conference of the Te Ante College Students’ Association,” February, 1897 a most interesting set of 14 papers, most of them written by' old Te Aute students, on subjects of the greatest importance to the Maori race. A further conference was held in December, 1897, at which a further series of nine papers was lead The collection forms a small pamphlet of 57 pages. It was printed at the Herald Office. Gisborne. There is a motto in Maori which reads “Whakatangata- Kia kaha ” (Quit ye like men. Be strong) It is interesting to note that the last edition of the Maori Bible uses the term “ Whakatane ” instead of “Whakatangata” as the equivalent of “ Quit ye like men.” The reason being that tangata may mean a member of the human race, male oi female, but tane is restricted to the male “Major Ropata Wahawaha, N.Z C., M.L.C.,” by Lieutenant-colonel Porter, is the story of the life and times of this noted Ngati-Porou chief. He was one of the noted leaders of the friendly Maoris in the chase after Te Kooti through the rough, wild country around Waikareinoana. The book is a small reprint of 43 nages from the columns of the Povertv Bay Herald. Gisborne. 1897. “Fifty Years Syne. A jubilee memorial of the Presbyterian Church of Otago.” by the Rev. James Chisholm. Published by J. Wilkie and Co.. Dunedin. 1898. It

contains 242 pages and 80 illustrations of ministers, elders, churches, manses, etc. It is a book of beginnings rather than a

connected history' of the various churches during the period under review, 18481898).

A Maori-English Lexicon, by the Rev. W. Colenso. F.R.S. and F.L.S.. is the title of a portion of the proposed dictionary of the New Zealand tongue, which the Rev. Mr Colenso undertook to compile. It is only the letter A that is given. It was published nt the Government Printing Office, Wellington, in 1898. In the book will be found -some of the reasons why it was not carried on to completion. Some of the correspondence between the Rev. Mr Colenso and the Government being given in the appendix. The arrangement of words is wrong, many long phrases are inserted as single Swords; Ahituna, a fire to attract eels, should be Ahi and Tuna —Ahi. a fire. Tuna, an eel. If the same plan were carried out in oui' English dictionaries they woqjd be far more bulky than they' are. One could easily' reduce this portion to about onehalf by cutting out all the words like the above. • “ Edward Gibbon Wakefield,” the colonisation of South Australia and New Zealand, by R. Garnett, C. 8., LL.D. This is a fine full biography of one cf the great Empire builders. His association with the New Zealand Company, the settlement of Wellington, Nelson, and

Wanganui, and, later, with Christchurch and Otago, will always be remembered. Wakefield died in Wellington at the age of 66, a disappointed man. His schemes had pointed the way to wealth and happiness for a large number of his fellowmen. but he seemed to be unable to grasp cither. The book contains a preface of 27 pages and 386 pages of other matter. It was published by T. Fisher Unwin, London. 1898.

“ Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand (Settlement of Otago),” by Thomas _ Morland Hoc-ken, M.R.C.S.. F.L.S., is a fairly complete account of the early history of the southern portion of the South Island. He gave an account of the early whalers, and the settlement of Waikouaiti by J Jones The arrival of the Rev. Mr Watkins and missionary work at that place. The history gives a vivid account of the difficulties and struggles of the early days up to the discovery' of gold and the large influx of population that followed on that discovery. There are seven appendices giving further information. Ihe book was printed and published by Sampson Low, Marston and Co., London, 1898.

“A Maori Maid,” by H. B. Vogel, is a well-written novel of New Zealand life in the North Island. The supposed heroine was the daughter of a New Zealand surveyor and her mother was the daughter of a Maori chief. The writer was a son of Sir Julius Vogel, a wellknown New Zealand statesman. The book is not mentioned in Hocken’s bibliography. but it is in the library. Printed in London in 1898.

“ New Zealand Moths and Butterflies,” by G. V. Hudson, is a 4to volume of pages xix and 144. It is a scholarly work of great interest to students of macro-lepidoptera. The xix pages of introduction treat of the origin, anatomy, “changes, and classification of the New Zealand order. There is an appendix which gives a list of the plants which supply food for these insects. Printed by Newman and Co.. London. 1898. “New Zealand,” by William Peniber Reeves, is a small book of 183' pages, printed and published by Horace Marshall and Son, London, in 1898. It is one of “The Story of the Empire” series. It is a very fine condensed account of New Zealand. It is said that the reception accorded to this little volume led the publishers to ask the writer to write something a little more elaborate for library purposes. Hence the next book on our list.

“ The Long White Cloud,” by William Pember Reeves, is one of the best accounts of New Zealand to be found anywhere. Mr Reeves is well acquainted with New Zealand history, and this charming volume of 421 pages, with maps and illustrations will repay the reading of it. The writer has the happy knack of summing up a position in a few words. What could be more apt than the chapter on the first British Resident, headed “The Man of War without Guns,” and the account of the Waitara purchase, as “ Governor Gore Brown’s Bad Bargain.” A chapter on the notable books of New Zealand is not the least valuable part of the work. Published in London by Horace Marshall and Son. 1898.