Auckland
25th Nov, 1901

H.E. Partridge Esquire,
Auckland.

Dear Sir,
After a very careful inspection of your Gallery of Maori Portraits, I am of opinion, that it would be impossible to have more correct, or life like likenesses of the persons represented in those pictures. I was, (or am, in the case of those now living) personally acquainted with 34 out of the 39 notable individuals shown in your collection; and a glance at each sufficed for immediate recognition of their well known features; and they were, as if they stood in the flesh before me. The clothing, ornaments, weapons, and pose of the figures as delineated is truly, and thoroughly Maori; and the manner in which the tattooing ("moko") of the faces has been reproduced on the canvas is marvellously correct, even to the most minute details. Had Herr G. Lindauer lived in the old Maori days, and could have exercised himself as skillfully in the art of tattooing faces, as he has done with his brush; he would have been a "Tohunga Ta Moko" (Artist in tattooing) of great renown, and have become a rich man from the number of valuable presents he would have received for his services. In the olden times, the Tohunga Ta Moko was a man of importance, and one who had to be propitiated in various ways - In performing his duties he duly considered the rank of his subject, and calculated whether the gratuity for his services would be large, or small, according to his previous knowledge of the stinginess, or liberality of the person operated on. In the one case the work would be slowly and carefully performed, and the lines finely cut; in the other [...]