MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 July 1938, Page 9

MAORI MEMORIES

FIRST NEWSPAPERS. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) In 1842 our revenue was derived from three sources, the British Parliament, Customs, and land sales. The sum of £50,000 was expected from the sale of land, but only £ll,OOO was realised. The exports were £lB,OOO and the imports £166,000. Governor Hobson received £60,000 from the British Government and £40,000 from land sales, and at his death, after nearly three years reign, he left us nearly bankrupt. There were nine newspapers published in 1842—two in Wellington, two at Bay of Islands, four at Auckland, and one at Nelson. . Each had four small pages, some weekly, others biweekly, at sixpence per copy. The Auckland Times was printed “on a mangle.” By 1859 the only survivors were the Nelson Examiner and the Wellington Spectator. All the papers used strong language, savage scurrility took the place of wit, and harsh expressions that of keenness. Emigrants leaving England for New Zealand thought the Maoris devoured each other like carniverous animals, and cannibal jokes passed between friends. In farewelling Bishop SeYwyn, the Rev Sydney Smith, the witty clergyman, warned him that all New Zealanders were lawyers, each having 6/8 tattooed on both cheeks. He advised His Lordship to have a supply of cold curate and roast clergy on the sideboard, but if his guests preferred a raw live Bishop, he sincerely hoped His Lordship would disagree with them.

Even the New Zealand “Government Gazette’ ’of June, 1841, published an allegedly humorous poem describing a cannibal feast, which was purely, or rather impurely, imaginary. Up to the time we destroyed their faith in the custom of merely “tasting” the flesh of an enemy it was a solemn sacrifice administered by the Ariki (high priest).