478 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



to teach the natives agriculture, and who became proficient in 

 the language, gathered together a large vocabulary, and com- 

 menced a translation of the Gospels so far back as 1825 ; 

 W. G. Puckey, an artisan, who also had an excellent know- 

 ledge of the language ; George Clarke, a smith, well known 

 afterwards as Protector of Aborigines ; Eichard Davis, who 

 conducted farming operations ; Charles Davis, a carpenter ; 

 William Fairburn, also a carpenter ; Charles Baker ; Eev. 

 A. N. Brown, of Tauranga ; Thomas Chapman, of Maketu ; 

 James Preece, Joseph Matthews, J. A. Wilson, and Bev. G. A. 

 Kissling. It is impossible in this long list, which extends but 

 to 1832, to apportion to each his due share ; but all were ex- 

 pected to do something, and were encouraged to suggest and 

 criticize. 



As the result, then, of such ceaseless labour the Bev. W. 

 Yate proceeded to Sydney in the beginning of 1830, and car- 

 ried through the press the fourth book on our list. It con- 

 tained the first three chapters of Genesis, the first nine of St. 

 Matthew, the first four of St. John, and the first six of the 

 First Epistle to the Corinthians, all printed in double columns. 

 Then followed, in single columns. Morning Prayer, Evening 

 Prayer, and the Commandments. After these were the 1st 

 and 2nd Catechisms and the hymns, now increased to nine- 

 teen in number. This interesting book, which is as rare as 

 its predecessors, is a 12mo of 117 pages, printed by B. 

 Mansfield for the executors of B. Howe, the Government 

 Printer. Five hundred and fifty copies were printed, at a 

 cost of £90. Great was the delight of the natives as well as 

 the missionaries when this valuable freight reached the shores 

 of New Zealand in August of 1830. The natives willingly 

 gave a month's labour for a copy, or something equivalent in 

 the way of pigs and potatoes, for it was wisely considered that 

 the value of these books would be vastly enhanced in native 

 eyes by making a substantial charge for them. On this occa- 

 sion Mr. Yate brought back with him from Sydney a printing- 

 press, the first New Zealand press. It had been sent by the 

 Church Missionary Society at the earnest request of the 

 missionaries, who hoped to do serviceable and economical 

 work with it. Mr. Yate took the precaution to bring also a 

 youth of fifteen, named James Smith, who had enjoyed some 

 trifling experience in the Sydney Gazette newspaper-office. 

 This youth was probably no more than a printer's devil, and, 

 as Mr. Yate was not even that, it is probable that the efforts 

 of the pair resulted in besmearing themselves and their 

 paper and then forswearing the business as hopeless. It is 

 certain, however, that they succeeded in printing the slips of 

 a few hymns and also a small catechism, for in a letter to the 

 society Mr. Yate says, after thanking them for the gift, " You 



