trength; the adventures
of the gold-seekers and other pioneers; the high aims of the colony's
founders, and the venturesome democratic experiments of those who have
succeeded them. If in these there is not the stuff for a fine book,
then I am most strangely mistaken. And if I have failed in the
following pages, then let me hope that some fellow-countryman, and
better craftsman, will come to the rescue, and will do with a firmer
hand and a lighter touch the work attempted here.

NOTE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I have to thank Major-General Robley, not only for drawing the
tail-piece to the second chapter, and thereby giving the book a minute
but correct pattern of the Maori _moko_ or face-tattooing, but for
kindly lending me photographs and drawings from which several other
illustrations have been taken. Two or three of the tail-pieces are
after designs in Mr. Hamilton's _Maori Art_. I have also to thank
Mr. A. Martin of Wanganui for his kind permission to use his fine
photograph of Mount Egmont and a view on a "papa" river. Mr. W.F.
Crawford was good enough to put at my disposal his photograph of
the Te Reinga waterfall, a view which will be new even to most New
Zealanders. The portrait of Major Kemp and that of a Muaopoko Maori
standing by a carved canoe-prow were given to me by Sir Walter Buller.
"A New Zealand Settler's Home" was the gift of Mr. Winckleman of
Auckland, well known amongst New Zealand amateur photographers. I have
also gratefully to acknowledge the photographs which are the work
of Mr. Josiah Martin of Auckland, Messrs. Beattie and Sanderson of
Auckland, Mr. Iles of the Thames, and Mr. Morris of Dunedin, and to
thank Messrs. Sampson, Low and Co. for the use of the blocks from
which the portraits of Sir Harry Atkinson and the Hon. John McKenzie
are taken.

Contents

Chapter I
THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

Chapter II
THE MAORI

Chapter III
THE MAORI AND THE UNSEEN

Chapter IV
THE NAVIGATORS

Chapter V
NO MAN'S LAND

Chapter VI
MISSION SCHOONER AND WHALE BOAT

Chapter VII
THE MUSKETS OF HONGI

Chapter VIII
"A MAN OF WAR WITHOUT GUNS"

Chapter IX
THE DREAMS OF GIBBON WAKEFIELD

Chapter X
IN THE CAUDINE FORKS

Chapter XI
THROUGH WEAKNESS INTO WAR

Chapter XII
GOOD GOVERNOR GREY

Chapter XIII
THE PASTORAL PROVINCES

Chapter XIV
LEARNING TO WALK

Chapter XV
GOVERNOR BROWNE'S BAD BARGAIN

Chapter XVI
_TUPAR