Peehi's camp at Heipipi on the Te Whaiti-Ruatatuna Road. Library, in Wellington. It was there, in the later stages of his life that Peehi spent much of his time, part of it with Sir Peter Buck (Te Rangihiroa), writing in an attic-like room on the top storey of the building. It should be remembered that Peehi was working for the Government which was supposed to have voted money to publish his books. But governments in those days did not realise the value of Maori studies like they do today. Consequently, the money was not always forthcoming to produce works like “The Maori”, “The Pa Maori”, and “Maori Agriculture”. These delays aroused Sir Apirana Ngata to some of the greatest heights of oratory in pleading for more funds to publish these books. “We shall treasure the manuscripts of Mr Elsdon Best”, he said, “when all these Hansards are forgotten”. Again in 1923, he stated: “probably 100 years hence he will find our descendants wondering what sort of fools we were when we had the opportunity to provide the money to enable these manuscripts to see the light of day”. In a still later speech he pressed the matter home: “… I think the Maori of New Zealand may be pardoned if they also are anxious to fall in line with other races and promote a fund in order to discover where they came from, who they are, and whether they are connected to the great Nordic race to which other honourable gentlemen of the Chamber belong, or with the Mongols … the Africans, or other primary races of the world …” Through the pressure brought to bear by Ngata, with the backing of Mr Gordon Coates, and with financial help from the Maori people the Board of Maori Ethnological Research (now the Maori Purposes Fund Board) was formed. Although other difficulties stood in the way, the board was able to resolve them and the books which Peehi wrote began to appear regularly in the bookshops. His only regret was that the delays had meant the loss of valuable time. “Alas”, he said just before his death “there is so much knowledge which possess and which I will never have time record”. The last years were a race against time But he was able to translate nearly all his notes into manuscript form and when he died on September 9, 1931, it was found that the work “Maori Forest Lore”, on which he was engaged, embodied virtually the last extracts from his well filled notebooks.

HISTORIC PLACES The recognition of two places famous in Maori history have been approved by the Historic Places Trust. They will be marked by commemorative plaques. The first is at the site of the Matakitaki Pa, at Pirongia, eight miles from Te Awamutu There is very little left of the pa fortifications, but the site is remembered for a great battle many years ago between Waikato and Ngapuhi. The second plaque will be at Kawhia, to mark the traditional resting place of the Tainui canoe after it was dragged up from its landing. Both the King Country and the Waikatos claim descent from people who arrived in the canoe.