HISTORY IN SHIPS' LOGS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 7

HISTORY IN SHIPS' LOGS

THE TUENBULL COLLECTION

The "Manchester Guardian": has this cay regarding thn'Turnbiill collection of hooks and' records relating to Isew Zealcaey hasjnst been left to the Kins in his farthest Dominion that will in-, teresthim prratk as a sailor.' This is the remarkable library ami , collection of New Zealand books and records, gathered with "real industry from all parts.of tho world by Mr. A. H. Turnbnll. a'wealthy merohnnt of- Wellington, tlw.first man to realise the importance of ships' logs-and records in piecing together tho history of the colony. He -unearthed records, however small.of the little-old wooden.ships that'arrived from Antardic blizzards or from'-sultry seas to find-food and w.atpf on the wooded islands, ami to'establish friendly .relations with the tattooed race -whoso-'.'educated descendants fought, for tli" iKinsf.-nn.Gftllipoli. , • ' ■"■'. His great: prize was Ihe loif of the Adventure, one of Cook's vessels on his second voyago to New JMand.'.-bnt he'always knew .that somewhere in the ports ■of 'jJrisrlnnd unsusneeted treasures of the sanio kind .might be found. In these days, when shipping'offices, nrp.bcinp tou- . sarked - for ■ cenhirica-old documents-.to pulped, it-should be worth while making careful'examiiifition lest records of supreme: .value to historians in all our overseas ..dominions should be destroyed.