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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 68

§ 11. The Commencement of Printing the New Testament. — ("Opus manuum nostrarum dirige.")

§ 11. The Commencement of Printing the New Testament.

("Opus manuum nostrarum dirige.")

We had heard of the arrival at Sydney of our long-looked for supplies of paper and printing materials from England; therefore, on the 23rd of March, 1836, (having recently received a few sheets of first "copy" from the Editor,*) I commenced compositing the New Testament. It was long, however, before we received those necessary supplies from Sydney; so that I did not commence printing the Testament until the 23rd of June,—and then alone, without any assistant 1 (a memorable day and time with me!) It had been already decided by the Committee of Missionaries, that the New Testament should be of demy 8vo,. size, and in Small-Pica letter, and should consist of 5000 copies! (4000 had been at first fixed on, but at the very earnest request of the Wesleyan Missionaries, 1000 additional copies for then was added thereto.) Finding I was advancing very slowly, and the work long and heavy, I engaged three steady Christian

* His kind note which came with them is so characteristic of him, that I am tempted to make an extract from it.—See Note D, Appendix.

page 13 Maoris, (adult and tattooed chiefs from Te Kawakawa,) Andrew, Joseph, and Hamo, to work as pressmen. But while, at first, willing to learn and to work (in their way), they caused me so much trouble and anxiety, and also loss, (besides their getting to dislike the work, as being wholly unsuitable to their habits, there was so much standing, and that too in one place,) that I was obliged to dismiss them and to do without them, and go on, as before, alone! The youthful Maoris of that day would not work at all, and could not be trusted. Indeed I had tried some sharp intelligent Maori youths (sons of neighbouring and friendly chiefs) during the past year to roll the forms, while engaged in printing the gospel of St. Luke, and some other smaller works; but they soon got tired and left me, just as they were severally becoming useful; this was in a great measure owing to their being obliged to stand so long in one spot at their work.* As a bit of curiosity I may mention, that the wages I paid to those three men, as agreed upon between us, was 3s. each per week, and their food,—this latter mainly consisting of potatoes and other edible roots of Maori cultivating. Three were engaged, as while two (in turn) worked at Press, the third did the simple cooking, getting water, shell-fish and firewood.—

"All service ranks the same with God—
With God, whose puppets, best and worst,
Are we: there is no last or first."—
Browning.

* See Note E, Appendix.