AN INDISPENSABLE VOLUME,*

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 66

AN INDISPENSABLE VOLUME,*

PR. HOCKEN'S LATEST LABOUR. It was a happy thought of the author to insert on the title : page of his " Bibliography of the Literature Relating to New Zealand," the quaint Maori proverb " He mahi nui rawa atu," which, interpreted 1 ' for the benefit of the ignorant pakeha, simply means " Truly this is a very laborious deed."* For although Dr Hocken, with his customary modesty, applies the saying to the, work of the reader in the compilation of the exhaustive index which completes this book of reference, yet the words' fitly describe the accomplishment of Dr Hocken, as originator and compiler of a truly wonderful book. The very comprehensiveness of the title takes away one's breath, not merely is it a concordance to the books and pamphlets published within the confines of the Dominion from the earliest days of its existence— that in itself would form a stupendous , collection — but every volume which relates in any way to the discovery,, the colonisation, and the development of New Zealand has been laid under contribution. It is only after leisurely turning the 600 odd pages of this Bibliography that its full significance begins to . dawn upon the reader. Here is a veritable treasure-house^ of knowledge crammed with the dry bones • of history and romance, upon which the imagination may brood until the dry bones begin to stir and clothe themselves with muscle, flesh, and nerve — until, indeed, the dry bones live and move amid a glamour of romance and adventure, of poetry and of song. ; In his introduction Dr Hocken forsees somewhat wistfully, the time when the poet, the painter, the novelist, and the litterateur — who hitherto have been content with the meed of inspiration which ; " the bright skies, the exhilarating climate, and the glorious Icenery " of New Zealand may provide — will concern j themselves with tho unworked mines and unfilled fields of the early history of ; Maoriland. Thus this Bibliography iß.a | good book, not only ~for the man of 1 affairs, wrapped up in the purely practical paths of life, but for him who sighs for higher and more lasting things, and who by his art, his music, his literary labour, aspires to create and nourish in New Zealand a national life and character worthy of these fair islands of the soutn. Bearing in mind the comparative youth of New Zealand and its sparse population, it is marvellous that so much should have been said, and sung of its history and its people. And as Dr Hocken points out, thanks to the " unusual good fortune of having amongst the pioneers and founders of the colony men of distinction and culture," " no young country , has contributed so much of a high char- • acter to the general stock of scientific. I historical, and certain other branches of i literary work," as New Zealand. Naturally it is in the earlier entries — commencing with Abel Tasman's journal — that the author specially revels ; this • may be noted in the exhaustive contents lists — in many cases extending to the chapter headings — which accompany the title of each of the historical volumes. 1 • A Bibliography of the Literature Relating to New Zealand, by T. M Hocken, M.E.C.S. Eng., F..L.5., F.R.GJS., Fell. Koy. Anthrop. Inst., F.J.S., Member of the Council of the University of Otago ; author of " Contributions to the Early History of Xew Zealand," etc. Wellington: The Government 1-rinter. (10s.) J

And the completeness of the work is shown in the fact that following an entry for the year 1779 of Professor Fitzgerald's " Injured Islanders, or the Influence of Art upon the Happiness of Nature " — in effect a plea for the simple life — comes 1781 with Miss Anna Seward s " Elegy on Captain Cook "' and Ledyard's " Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage." Turning the pages at random our eye rests upon a most interesting entry :—: — The New Zealander No. 1, Auckland, Saturday, June 7, 1845. — Issued weekly until June, 1847, then twice weekly, daily from January, 1863, closed publication in 1866, and had the distinction of being from April, 1863, the first morning penny paper in New Zealand. It belonged to the well-known printing firm of Williamson and Wilson, and amongst its editors and contributors were Drs Bennett and Giles, Messrs Gorst (Sir John), Foreaith, and others of public notes.

A few pages further on we oome across another entry of similar import, but perhaps of greater interest in Otago : — The Otago News, published every alternate "Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock. " There's pippins and cheese to come." No. 1 Dunedin, Wednesday, December 13. "1848. Price sixpence. The first Dunedin newspaper. Edited and publish-adi by H. B. Graham. With No. 14, 9 June, 1849, enlarged to demy fol., four columns, and published weekly. Ceased with No. 91, December 21, 1850,, and followed by the Otago

Witness in 1851

The "Addenda" brings the book right •up to date, many of the publications Oi the present year being included. Thus one of the latest entries is Father Cleary's "An Impeached Nation"; but strangely enough the same author's " Secular verses Religious Education," issued about the same time is not mentioned. But as Dr Hocken himself says : " While every effort has been made to make this record complete, it is probable that many items have escaped enumeration. Any such omissions are almost certainly of little moment, and it is not unlikely that they are chiefly confined to the long list? of versifiers, whose contributions form a yearly heavy burden." The truth of this statement is seen in tfie fact that although mention is made of D. M. Ross's little booklet "The Promise of the Star/ his more pretentious volume of poems "The /Afterglow," escapes notice altogether. The list of volumes of verse covers over 200 titles — iai connection with which it may be mentioned that a corner of a dark cellar on a certain Dunedin bookseller's premises has been christened '^The -Poet's Graveyard," for there lies mouldering a yearly increasing mound, composed of unsold poetic effort.' Di" Hocken" wisely dubbs these volumes "verse," and not "poetry," for, as he sasrely cays : " The birth of the poet is still awaited. Perhaps his advent is not far distant, and may indeed be heralded by that yearly increasing burden of song, which here and there is lightened by undoubted talent, rhythm, aa<J beauty." •

We have, we trust, eaid sufficient to show how absolutely indispensable Dt Hocken's Bibliography is to any decently furnished library. It issues from the Government Printing office, is stronglT bound, well printed, anJ bears marks oi most careful editing and workmanlike production, and, considering the vast amount of labour involved, the price is very reasonable.

We congratulate Dr Hocken upon t\k fruits of his patient perseverance, and trust he may long be spared to make further contributions to the early history of New Zealand. This in a labour oi love on his part, which is doing much to build up a national character, by furJidshmg the historic past wth that halo o romance co attractive to the people of a younsr country, handicapped in its evolution by the absence of those saored traditions wHich mean so much to the true causes of patriotism and progress.