COOK MEMORIAL

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 511, 26 August 1902, Page 1

COOK MEMORIAL

A SUGGESTION. (To the Editor of the Times.) Sir,—May I beg of you to publish the accompanying copy of a letter sent by me to the Maori King Mahuta Tawhio. Presuming that it explains itself, I may add that as yet I have not had a reply from His August Majesty, and also that as it is expected we shall have a visit from members of the Government, I think it well to <dve your readers a little direction as to the form a national memorial monument, not alone to Cook, but also to Te xMaro, should take. —I am, etc., geo. H. Wilson. August 25th, 1902. (Copy.) North Gisborne, Poverty Bay, August j, 1902. —Mahuta Tawhio, King of the Maori People. Honored Sire,—This letter which I presumo on your goodness and virtue to addross to you, is on an important matter in the history of your people and your country. A movement has taken placo here which will bo successfully carried out, namely, tho erection of a memorial monument to Captain Cook, to be placed on the spot where he first landed. I beg most respectfully and sincerely of you Sire, to let me have your written and signed approbation to tho following I propose that an addition—at present not thought of—be made to the Cook Memorial in order to commemorate the patriotic To Maro who was the tho first victim, in New Zealand to the civilization which, generally is preceded by the shedding of blood, said to Do, the red dawn to every day of Grace ; therefore let a statuo of Te Maro be put with that of Cook, so forming an emblematic group of the peace and progress begun inauspiciously but now, a century afterwards, perfected between tho two races. I have Sire, the honor thus to address you and to say also, that no one—save myself of course —knows of this appeal to your patriotism and sense of what is necessarily due to the memory of the illustrious Te Maro, and also to your own people. You will, Sire, I trust admit the desirability of making known the purport of this letter immediately to your own people and so enlist not only their sympathies but also their help in contributing money to so good an undertaking. I dare i say, Sire, that when your wishes become 1 known the Government will respond by * voting a sum for the memorial as here ' outlined. Erecting a memorial to Cook ’ only would bo incomplete in the extreme. The Native Minister is likely to be in Gis--1 borne a few days hence, and if I receive your letter in time I shall lay the corj respondence before him. —I beg to be Sire, Your Most Obedient Servant. ! George H. Wilson.