MAORI SLAVERY IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1933, Page 9

MAORI SLAVERY IN TARANAKI

BOOK BY REV. JOHN WHITELEY. NEW PLYMOUTH MAN TRANSLATING An interesting relic of the. early history of Taranaki, m the form of what is believed to be the only existing copy of a book written in Maori by the Rev. John Whiteley over 80 years ago, is in the hands of a New Plymouth resident/ Mr. Harold Rawson. At the,time the book was published, 1847, there was a certain amount of slavery among the Maoris, the slaves being mostly prisoners of war. In an effort to eradicate this Mr. Whiteley wrote the book in Maori and distributed it among the Natives. It was printed by John Williamson, Auckland. The only words in the entire publication that are not in Maori are “John Williamson.” Most of the copies were distributed in the Waikato, for there were many slaves in that district taken by the Waikato tribes. "The' translation of the title of the book is “Peace, Peace. It is well that Peace be Established.” The book has been in the hands of Mr. • Rawson since the death of his inother, a daughter of Mr. Whiteley, 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 bac 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 that have gone out of common /usage. Mr. Rawson has had considerable experience in Maori translation, and several times has translated the Maori Bible back into English.