Hocken. — Early New Zealand Literature. 107 



phrased it, the " continuous misrule and indifference of the 

 Government," and their mouthpiece, the Bay of Islands 

 Observer, accordingly made its first appearance on the 24th 

 February, 1842 — price Is. a number, or 10s. quarterly, and 

 3s. 6d. for twelve lines of advertisement. Mr. Quaife, who 

 was again editor, no longer approached abuses in a gentle, 

 indirect manner, but handled them with so much candour 

 and bluntness as to find himself and his company in danger 

 of an action for libel, which was only averted by humble con- 

 fession and apology. A little later — in October — and in it& 

 39th number, it ceased to exist, deploring the little aid it had 

 received from subscribers and the public. 



More than a year now elapsed before the Bay of Islands 

 Advocate published its first number, on the 4th November, 

 1843. Little need be said of it. It indulged in personalities, 

 and was mourned by no one when it-closed its short existence 

 of three months in February, 1844. With it ends the list of 

 Bay of Islands newspapers — four of them, with an average life 

 of ten months each, surely an unusual record. 



The Bay of Islands had always been the notable point of 

 New Zealand. Its praises as a harbour and its beauty had 

 been sung by Captain Cook, and after him it formed the 

 rendezvous for whalers and the numerous shipping from 

 Sydney, with which it was the proximate point. It was also 

 the headquarters of the Church Mission, and thus it came to 

 be selected as the seat of Government. But for this it was 

 entirely unsuited, and after considerable search for a better 

 site the British flag was finally unfurled on the banks of the 

 Waitemata on the 19th September, 1840, at future Auckland. 

 Then the glory of Kororareka began to depart, despite the 

 hopes and efforts made to retain it, and the flocks that came 

 dowm with Governor Hobson from New South Wales now 

 took fresh wing to the newly selected capital, where the 

 Governor began his permanent residence not earlier than 

 March of 1841. 



On the 10th July in the same year, at the usual old 

 price of Is. per copy, the first of Auckland's numerous news- 

 papers appeared, the New Zealand Herald and Auckla?id 

 Gazette, which has the distinction of being the third in order 

 of New Zealand journals. Like its fellows in the farther 

 north, its career was short and stormy, though at first seeming 

 to possess the requisites of longer life and prosperity, and its 

 promoters ought surely to have gained experience enough to 

 avoid the rocks which had already caused so much disaster. 

 Quite an extensive plant of printing material was brought down 

 from Sydney, as well as a staff of pressmen for working it, 

 amongst whom are names well known in early history — Mr. 

 John Williamson, for instance, the first Superintendent of Auck- 



