486 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



the infant newspaper died within a year of its birth. It will 

 be noticed what a contrast there is between the excellent 

 paper and good workmanship of Mr. Colenso's No. 1 and 

 the rotten rags and poor execution of Her Majesty's printer. 

 Seventeen such numbers appeared, and when the Govern- 

 ment became fairly settled in the new capital of Auckland it 

 issued, on the 7th July, 1841, the first number of that Gazette 

 which has continued uninterruptedly to the present day. 



And now for the closing history of this celebrated press. 

 In 1843 Mr. Colenso ceased his connection with it and went 

 to Waimate, preparatory to his being ordained deacon by 

 Bishop Selwyn in 1844. A person named Telford was sent 

 from England to take charge of it, but little more seems to 

 have issued from it, at Paihia at least. I am much inclined to 

 think that when the Bishop took up his permanent residence 

 at Auckland the press went with him, though of this there 

 seems no certainty. Mr. R. Coupland Harding, a well-known 

 pressman at Wellington, who takes great interest in all de- 

 tails connected with his business, thinks that it was broken 

 up in Auckland for old metal. 



A word or two must be said in respect to the literature 

 proceeding from the other two presses that were in existence 

 before the advent of our British Government — the Wesleyan 

 and the Roman Catholic. I do not think that much issued 

 from either of them. The Wesleyans received their press 

 in 1836, and printed, after the manner of their Church 

 brethren, a few of the biblical books, catechism, tracts, 

 pamphlets, and some hymns. The Roman Catholics, in 

 the person of Bishop Pompallier, arrived at Hokianga in 

 January, 1838. He was reinforced within a year with six 

 assistants and a press, and he then moved his quarters 

 to Kororareka, which he made the head of his whole 

 apostolic vicariate extending throughout Oceania. The first 

 prints of his press contained an abridged doctrine of the 

 Roman Catholic faith, morning and evening prayers, and a 

 method for learning reading ; then followed the inevitable 

 catechism, and a long pastoral letter refuting the errors of 

 Protestantism. This latter was evidently considered a 

 highly necessary publication, for the attitude of the two 

 rival Churches was of the most bitter and controversial 

 character. This press was sold amongst the early fifties to 

 the New-Zealander newspaper, where the peculiar form of 

 portions of its type, which is French, may be seen. Indeed, 

 as might be generally expected, with the increased facilities 

 for printing which followed in the wake of British govern- 

 ment, the private presses were routed, and their work was 

 done more effectually by those which drove them from the 

 field. 



