Hocken. — On Literature in New Zealand. 489 



fingers and unwearied work their neat appearance and pre- 

 servation ; and it should be noted that some of the school- 

 books were prepared by her for publication. To Governor 

 Grey is due the chief credit of instituting these efforts. 

 Part of his native policy was to publish interesting books in 

 the Maori language, the chief of which were undoubtedly 

 " Robinson Crusoe," John Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress," or, 

 as the translation calls them, " Ropitini Kuruho " and 

 " Hoani Paniana." These were translated by Henry Tacy 

 Kemp, who was Native Secretary and Interpreter, and a 

 special feature of them is that they contain illustrations — so 

 far as I can recollect, the first ever done in New Zealand. 

 These were executed by Dr. Thomas Shearman Ralph, who 

 practised at Wellington between the forties and fifties, and 

 who was, moreover, the secretary of the New Zealand Society, 

 founded in 1851, the precursor of our New Zealand Institute. 

 They were published respectively in 1852 and 1854, and as 

 both stories were exactly suited to native taste they were in 

 high favour, until the inevitable Killjoy made it known that 

 they were allegories, and then all interest ceased. Hence, no 

 more books of the kind were issued. 



As something that still appealed to taste, and was much 

 more practical, an interesting little treatise on the "History 

 and Cultivation of Tobacco, or Tupeka," appeared, which 

 gave such a spur to native industry that no kainga was 

 to be found without its tobacco cultivation. In connection 

 with this it may be mentioned how brutal a trick was played 

 upon some natives in the Thames district just before the 

 days of colonisation. A departing captain exchanged with 

 them for some pigs and potatoes a packet of tobacco-seed, 

 which they planted and carefully tended. It developed into 

 a crop of docks, which overran the country. No wonder that 

 base conduct of the sort was speedily followed by that Maori 

 law of retaliation known as utu. 



Other practical works appeared on the value of money and 

 the use of savings-banks ; some descriptive of the beneficent 

 laws under which the English had flourished for so many 

 generations, and some relating to the care of health and avoid- 

 ance of disease. At one time there was some fear that the 

 scourge of small-pox would find an entry to the country. 

 Immediately a booklet was spread broadcast giving an account 

 of the disease and the best mode of avoidance. As is so often 

 the case in introducing new terms and new ideas, there was 

 great difficulty in labelling the disease with a suitable Maori 

 name ; but at length, referring to one of its peculiar features, 

 it was called " i mate koroputaputa" (the sickness with holes, 

 or pits, in the ground). One of ourselves taking up this 

 pamphlet would be hopelessly puzzled with its title-page. 



