New Zealand : its History, Vicissitudes, and Progress. By William
Gisborne. (Petherick and Co.)—This volume is full of facts and statistics, culled from many sources besides personal acquaintance with the Colony. The quotations from various authorities are so numerous and lengthy, that Mr. Gisborne does not allow his own style full play to develop itself into sustained narration or description. The book opens with some account of the physical features of New Zealand, which, we are told, were arranged by Nature, with the "great end in view" of providing for "the growth and spread of commerce." Then follows a full description of the character of the Maoris, of the good work of missionaries. among them, and of the action of the New Zealand Company which forced the hands of the Government to turn the islands into a British Colony in 1840. From that year down to 1871 the author. gives a regular history of the Colony, with special fullness as regards the native war between 1860 and 1870. After that date the fair Muse of History retires from these pages and gives, place to the plain person, whoever that may be, who presides over the writing of guide-books. Taking each of the provincial districts in turn, the author describes with considerable detail their present condition and resources. He lays much stress on the exquisite scenery of New Zealand, specially in the volcanic region of North Island, the beauty of which was by no means all destroyed by the great eruption of 1886. He notices, also, the picturesque fiords on the West Coast of South Island, of which he says :—" Nature here asserts her predominant sway, and scarcely any trace of man, except in the occasional visit of a steamer or an exploring or scaling party, is seen. The still, deep waters, walled-in by stupendous mountains, rising in places almost precipitously 5,000 ft. or 6,000 ft. high, the silence only broken here and there by roaring cataracts, and the utter loneliness of all around, invest these remote scenes with inexpressible grandeur." Something should be done, Mr. Gisborne thinks, to encourage tourists to visit New Zealand from Australia, and even more distant places, and not only tourists, but invalids are invited. There is a Government Sanatorium, with sulphur-baths, in the Hot Lakes district, of which we are told, on the highest medical authority, that "the marvellous resources of this place, if only they were properly advertised and access by rail provided, would cause sufferers to congregate from all parts of the world in such numbers as would astonish the most sanguine believers in its future. I believe there is nothing in the world to compare with this as a city of refuge for persons who suffer from rheumatism" and certain other specified diseases. In the last chapter, the author propounds some sensible but rather elementary principles regarding emigration, Free-trade,. and Imperial Federation, and argues in favour of the entire ex- clusion of the Chinese labouring classes from the Australasian Colonies, simply on the ground of the overwhelming numbers of that race. His argument would not be affected even if the Chinese were the best of colonists ; "it is quantity and not quality which is the insuperable objection" in his opinion.
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