NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9452, 27 February 1911, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE.

A remarkable quantity of literature has been written about Now Zealand. In the very earliest days of our history there were men who published works relating to the country. Most of them are extremely interesting, and many of them arc worthy of preservation as valuable records. Recently a noteworthy collection of these early records came into the market through the death:of an enthusiastic collector of New Zealand books, Mr J. T. Mecson, formerly of Ohrietchurch, but for a number of years past a resident of England, With tho exception of some few works which have been obtained by the Parliamentary Library, the collection'has come into the hands of Mr R. M'Nab, of Palmcrston North, who is well known as,an enthusiastic collector of _ New Zealand books. Mr Meeson's library consisted of 247 works. They range over newspapers such as the first four years of tho "New Zealand Spectator," published at Wellington in 1844, every copy being intact; the first seven years of the Lyttelton Times, and tho best known works on New Zealand, such as Angus's "New Zealand," Buller's birds, and other standard books. The bulk of the collection has been retained by Mr M'Nab for his own library, and the remainder has been taken by Mr Ewen, Wellington, and Mr 0. H. Turnbull, also of Wellington, two gentlemen who possess large libraries of New Zealand works, It is very satisfactory that these valuable papers referred to have come back to New Zealand. One extremely rare volume, a work that.contains the first printed reference ever made to New Zealand, is "Harris's Voyages," the date of which is 1744. Both the print and the quaint illustrations are full of interest. This and all the books are in excellent order. Mr Meeson collected them in Christehurch many years ago. Mr M'Nab is now having a large fireproof library built for the better safety of his extensive library.