Featon’s Waikato War a bibliographical note

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 11, Issue 1, 1 May 1978, Page 37

Featon’s Waikato War a bibliographical note

PENELOPE GRIFFITH

Since its publication in 1879 John Featon’s The Waikato War 1863-4 has received little critical or bibliographical notice. The latter (in so far as it is the concern of this note) is perhaps the more surprising because there are several puzzling aspects in its publishing history as recorded in the copies so far sighted. Davis 1 does not record it; Collier 2 enters it under John Heaton, and had apparently not seen a copy because it is a skeleton entry — the title is not ruled off in accordance with his practice, nor is the publisher’s name (one of the cruxes) given. The collation is noted as “Pp. 100. [With portrait of Rewi.]”. Hocken’s entry 3 is accurate for the issue it describes —that “Printed and Published for the Proprietor by John Henry Field, Albert St.” with collation “Bvo. Pp. 100. Chiefly double columns. Portrait of Rewi and sketch-map of Waikato district.” As the Turnbull Library copy which matches this description bears Dr Hocken’s bookplate and (twice) signature, it would seem to be an identical (if not the same) copy. Page 1 (unnumbered) is the title (verso blank) and p. 2-3 (unnumbered) the Preface; the text from p. 5 (unnumbered) to 24 is printed in single column, the rest in double columns.

There is, however, another more common issue with the imprint “Auckland; Printed and Published for the Proprietor by J. D. Wickham, Free Lance General Printing Office, Vulcan Lane.” The immediately noticeable differences are: 1. Reset title page. 2. Additional folded frontispiece (portrait of Tawhiao). 3. Text is all in double columns, the text proper beginning on p. 11 (unnumbered) and preceded by two leaves of title and Preface. 4. Dark blackish blue ribbed morocco grain cloth boards with trimmed edges.

Some explanation for the two issues is provided by the earliest form which publication took —four monthly parts, No. 1 published by Field and Nos. 2-4 by Wickham. Each issue included a title page with the relevant publisher’s imprint, the only difference being that that for No. 3 had the misprint “Waikata”. No. 1 (up to p. 24) printed in single column, included the portrait of Rewi and a

preliminary leaf on the recto of which is a notice that the work was “Now publishing in monthly numbers . . . [which] can be ordered from the publisher, John H. Field ...” and on the verso, two advertisements. This preliminary leaf is also bound into the first separate issue noted, which suggests that Hocken chose not to mention issue in parts, probably because he hadn’t seen them.

The three Wickham numbers, printed in double columns, on paper of poorer quality are of p. 25-50, 51-78 and 79-100, with no apparent concurrent issue of the portrait of Tawhiao or the folded map. All four parts (one shilling each) were issued in grey paper covers with advertisements; the paper used by Wickham is speckled and more blue. Wickham economically changed the numeral in “No. 2” to “3” and “4” by hand, saving the need for printing new covers for each issue. The cover of the first number includes the statement “With Illustrations by Charles Palmer”; this is not repeated elsewhere in any issue of the work, though both portraits and the map are signed by him. The portrait of Rewi and the map are lithographs printed by the larger fraternity ofWilsons and Florton.

It is difficult to explain the separate issue of the work with the Field title page. Whatever the reason for the change in publisher it seems unusual not to use a title page for the printer who completed the job and, presumably, arranged for the binding up. It is possible that it is an aberrant copy and that the title page and preliminary leaf should have been cancelled. This thesis is supported by the evidence of another copy in the Library which, while having the single/ double column text combination and illustrations as for the Field issue, has a Wickham title page tipped in. The binding is of a finer green sand grain cloth which is wrapped round the limp covers. While the gold blocking “Waikato War” is identical with that for the Field issue, the rest of the lettering “By John Featon” (rather oddly followed by a colon!) is in much smaller type cramped together. The endpapers are of a flimsy type of wrapping paper tinted lilac. On the other hand, the issue with the Field title page may have been bound up by arrangement for Field’s own use.

It is tempting to jump to the conclusion that the Wickham issue is a later one because of its physical format. If there were insufficient copies of part one to make up separates with the three subsequent parts —or if demand required a reprint of the whole text —this was the opportunity to present the whole text in double columns. With the smaller type which Wickham used, the resulting condensation would explain why the text proper begins at page 11, so that it finishes at page 24, to lead on to the text already paged 25-100.

If this is correct, it could give some clue as to the reason for the change in publisher. If the text had all been set by Field as for the

first issue, it would have come to approximately 140 pages, almost half as long again as the Wickham double-column text and requiring correspondingly more paper and perhaps a further two issues. From both the imprints “Printed and Published for the Proprietor ...” it seems at least possible that Featon (or some other person) was paying for the printing of the work himself. In this case the expected length and therefore expense of the work if all printed by Field would become apparent after the first part was issued. Assuming that Field would not compromise on the form of presentation, Featon may well have taken the job to a more economical printer to complete its publication within his means. It is also possible, of course, that Field did not want to go on with the job himself and that another printer had to be found. Unfortunately, a preliminary search of Auckland newspapers has not provided any leads at all as to the publication of the work. It would be interesting to know how many copies of parts were published and how many separates were bound, but these details are even more elusive —and not so inviting to hypotheses.

REFERENCES 1 Davis, lames D. Contributions Towards a Bibliography of New Zealand. Wellington, 1887. 2 Collier, James. The Literature Relating to New Zealand: a Bibliography. Wellington, 1889, p. 132. 3 Hocken, Thomas M. Bibliography of the Literature Relating to New Zealand. Wellington, 1909, p. 318.