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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 68

§ 15. Notice of some Pleasing Occurrences, showing the High Value set by the Maoris on the Book

§ 15. Notice of some Pleasing Occurrences, showing the High Value set by the Maoris on the Book.

Many remarkable incidents happened at this time, showing the extreme value placed by the Christian and well-disposed Maori Chiefs on the Sacred Volume; all of them would prow highly interesting; one or two I will briefly mention. The powerful Chief of Kaitaia, (near Ahipara and the North Cape,) Panakareao, (afterwards Baptized and named Nopera = Noble,) wrote me a letter for a single copy; and in order that it should arrive the more dignified, he sent it all the way by a special messenger, (a long journey of several days through a wild and page 21 little-known dense untravelled forest,) and with it he sent me £1 in gold for payment, strictly limiting his request to one copy only! It was the first sovereign I ever saw with a Maori, or in this Country, (indeed, silver coin also was very scarce, rarely seen or used,*) and the letter and the gold were well-secured being wrapped-up in folds of cloth, and bound and worn turban-fashion night and day on his head. And as not many of the principal Maori Chiefs or their sons could then write, many of them travelled on foot and barefooted to Paihia, from very great distances, to obtain a copy; at the same time running no small risks in their doing so, owing to the unsettled unavenged old feuds which still existed. Several distinguished early foreign visitors also got single copies by asking,—as the Bishop of Australia, Admiral du Petit Thouars of the French Navy, Capts. P. P. King, and Harding of the British Navy, Commodore Wilkes of the American Exploring Expedition, &c., &c.—In fine, and in spite of the utmost care, the whole edition went away so fast, that a new edition of 5000 copies, in 12mo., was speedily printed in England by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

* See Note J, Appendix.