484 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



tenei Pukapuka mo te Bible Society" (the book printed by 

 the Bible Society). 



In 1868 appeared the first issue of the complete and per- 

 fect Bible — Old and New Testaments— a handsome, portly 

 volume of 1,199 pages. It varies but little from the transla- 

 tion of the three preceding component volumes. Whilst 

 going through the press at Banana, or London, it was care- 

 fully supervised by competent persons who happened to be 

 visiting the Home -country — the Bev. George Maunsell (a 

 son of the Archdeacon), Mrs. Colenso, the Bev. W. Mellor, 

 the Bev. W. Williams, and Bishop Selwyn. 



A sad calamity befel Mr. Maunsell in 1843, when, owing 

 to some carelessness, his house took fire, and in an hour was 

 burnt to the ground. He lost everything, including his 

 valuable books, the manuscript of a dictionary he was com- 

 piling, and many of his biblical translations. But with un- 

 daunted spirit he immediately commenced the work of years 

 afresh, whilst his sympathetic friends subscribed £200 to re- 

 place his important critical library. 



The barest reference only can be made here to the other 

 religious books which were issued from Mr. Colenso's mis- 

 sionary press at Paihia. Amongst them were catechisms, 

 portions of the Prayer-book, various pious addresses, tracts, 

 and a little primer of twenty-three pages for Maori pupils. 

 Of this latter no less than twenty thousand were issued be- 

 tween 1839 and 1842. It may here be stated that for some 

 time I have been engaged in collecting and cataloguing not 

 only these, but all publications whatsoever in the Maori lan- 

 guage of which I have any acquaintance. But there were a 

 few issues of quite a different character, which are of historical 

 interest, to which further reference should be made. The first 

 is the so-called " Declaration of Independence," which was 

 signed in October, 1835, at the Bay of Islands by thirty-five 

 chiefs. The occasion was that for some time rumours pre- 

 vailed that France proposed annexing the Islands of New 

 Zealand. Circumstance was given to these when the Baron 

 Charles de Thierry formally declared himself Sovereign Chief 

 of New Zealand, and that it was his intention to assume an 

 authority, which would be maintained by the force of an 

 armed vessel. Full details of this incident in our history I 

 laid before this Institute some years ago. Mr. Busby, the 

 British Besident, at once took steps to thwart these preten- 

 tions, and this " Declaration" was the outcome. It declared 

 that all sovereign power and authority vested in the chiefs and 

 heads of tribes themselves, who proposed meeting in congress 

 once a year to frame suitable regulations for the purpose of 

 justice, peace, and trade. A copy of this document was sent 

 to King William recognising the good feeling between the 



