Early New Zealand books, 1830-1839
Another tranche of early New Zealand Books has been posted (read more). These cover 1830 to 1839, and amongst the eleven discussed are at least three of some importance. The first is the set of publications coming from Dumont d’Urville’s two voyages into the southern seas, with New Zealand featuring, though not hugely. The greater importance here is in the large volumes on natural history, ethnography, hydrology and all the other sciences of the time. The second is that of Augustus Earle, the first professional artist, as we might now call him, to visit after those on the Cook voyages. His drawings and paintings are readily recognisable and match the empathy that comes across in his account. The third is that of William Yate, the rather tortured missionary, who’s account is the first to describe settlement life and the mission stations from the viewpoint of a resident. The book is rather a mish-mash of information and observations, including a shell collection, but raised a lot of interest running into several editions.
These books are those published before the subsequent wave in publications associated with the New Zealand Company and emigration in general, with many books from 1840 onward providing information on emigration, what to bring, what to buy, land purchases, what to expect (largely misleading), what are the laws (not a lot), and Māori, and sometimes difficult to separate from Company propaganda, but all of great interest.
Look also at the engravings, watercolours, plates. I am finding these of increasing interest, tracing their origins, who drew what and then who engraved and published it, and how many times in different books. Some are brilliant, many portray somewhat idyllic ‘English’ pastoral scenes, but all have that bit of magic that comes from being first-hand records of what was there at the time, albeit from an English visitor’s point of view. The portrait here is that of George Bennet, in Montgomery’s book on the voyages of Tyerman and Bennet for the London Missionary Society. I like this image for some reason.
