Hill. — Early Printing in Neiu Zealand. 409 



after Mr. Marsden addressed his letter to London the Eev. 

 Samuel Lee published a Maori grammar, based in a large 

 measure upon one which the Rev. Mr. Kendall had prepared 

 during his residence as a missionary in New Zealand. 



The difficulties of settlement in a new country, and among 

 a people possessing no literature, and whose language had to 

 be learnt and systematized, can hardly be realised by those 

 who dwell in civilised communities. It was useless to appeal 

 to the natives on abstract questions of religion, and admirable 

 judgment was shown by Mr. Marsden in his selecting men 

 for the conversion of the natives who possessed qualifications 

 of a practical character, such as would appeal to the daily 

 wants and social needs of a people. Men capable of using 

 axe, saw, spade, plane, hammer, and plough were of the 

 kind most useful in the early days of settlement. Instruc- 

 tion in the arts leading to the social betterment of the race 

 was eminently practical, and convincing even to a savage 

 people; and if that injunction of Mr. Marsden's, "I wish on 

 no account that these young men should be idle," could have 

 been carried out fully and completely the native race would 

 have to-day promise of a great future. 



In 1823 Henry Williams landed in New Zealand, at the 

 time when Mr. Marsden was making his fourth visit to the 

 country ; and it is interesting to find that the first letter that 

 he wrote to London after his arrival contained two requests — 

 one that his brother William might come, the other that a 

 printing-press might be sent. Both of these requests were 

 supplied in due course, but William Williams anticipated the 

 arrival of the press about eight years, and it was well that 

 the events took place as they did. William Williams had a 

 great capacity for work, for organization, and for learning the 

 native language, and it was not long before he grasped the 

 position of affairs with respect to the native race. There had 

 been what was termed a " language committee " at work 

 before the arrival of William Williams, but some of the mem- 

 bers possessed small scholarship, and, although the native 

 language had been learnt, it had hardly been arranged in 

 a way suitable for literary purposes. A new committee, 

 known as a "translation committee," was set up, consisting 

 of Messrs. William Williams, Yate, and Puckey, and it is to 

 these three persons, but mainly to the former, that the native 

 language of the Maori was fixed in its present written form. 

 Translation was comparatively slow, but in the year 1829 

 sufficient progress had been made with parts of the liturgy 

 and certain chapters of the Bible to warrant the committee 

 in having the same published for native use. With this end 

 in view, Mr. Yate was sent to Sydney to superintend the 

 issue of the first Maori book from the press. The issue num- 



