CHAP. IX.] FOR THE NATIVES? 169 



amongst the Protestant and Catholic natives. The 

 humble and disinterested manner of living of the 

 priests, and the superior education which they have 

 generally received, have procured them many friends 

 both amongst Europeans and natives, and also many 

 converts amongst the latter. 



It probably is not to be expected that other 

 branches of useful knowledge will be imparted to 

 the natives by the missionaries, and in this case 

 their knowledge of reading and writing places in 

 the hands of native commissioners the best means 

 of imparting instruction by the all-powerful press. 

 The schoolmaster is not so much wanted in New 

 Zealand as books, which travel through the coun- 

 try, and are read and understood by young and 

 old, if they are written with a knowledge of the 

 native capabilities, which, by the bye, are not to be 

 estimated very low. For the composition or trans- 

 lation of such books the native language is perfectly 

 sufficient, as it admits the formation of new words 

 on a native basis. This has already been done to a 

 great extent in the translation of the Scriptures. 

 The commissioner should cause to be published not 

 only all acts of government, but also information 

 on English laws, books for children and for adults, 

 and so on. Every one must be struck with the 

 assiduity and perseverance with which mutual in- 

 struction is carried on amongst the natives ; they 

 will often sit for hours together criticising the 

 meaning of a phrase in their books. In this man- 



