MY OWN COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

MY OWN COUNTRY.

By ALEX. McRAE Great South Rond,

Piitfftkurn '.me 11). Nearly three cent lines ago, when a mantle of vast, dense forest clothed Now Zealand, a ship flying the Ihitcii colours at tier mast head rounder) ( ape Farewell, and lieavmg-'o, lay idly rocking on tho l>i -ombers that rolled slowlv shoreward No sound broke the stillness save tho gay song of the hellbird and the harsh note of a kaka re-cchnitij: through tho woods Fm the rest, silence prevailed on even side Thus A lint Tasman was the first European to discover New Zea land From the ship smoke could ho seen rising from several rude tints i'liis tered together on the shore Before manv minutes had elapsed «omi of the inhabitants were discerned launching their canoes in the direction of l'asman's ship. The oecunnuts of 'lie canoes had hide nusK tattooed faces weiirine skins or m;its woven out ">f flax, and Tasman grew uneasy as thesi formidable neople camo swarming up. the sides of tin* ship Mainly 'uvina to thi« uneasiness a misunder standinc arose which spcedilv developed into 'i t'i r h! 'ind four of Tasmnn's sailors were killed lie thereupon weighed incli"! at"' crnwdini* «« a'l sail -'"'-I course fm his unlive Innd- (Tolland. Tims, Tas man's visit to New Zealand was of no great importance On renclnnc Ins coat, after hravinc the perils of the I'.ncific and the Atlantic Ocean. he told his fellow countrymen of the stranee land in tfie southern seas and r.f the savage peonle who dwel.t there; tJipy howpVf'i I f 1)0 »o no other nation, especially their hated rivals, the K'urlish 'Mit themselves took no steps to plant the Dutch Hntr in \'ew Zealand. *i= Ta«man had christened lier Over one hundred vent's la.ter ( nntnm Took, a famous maHiemmtition and master mariner wa despatched hv the British fJnvcrn merit to studv the transit of Venus from Hie island of Tahiti, hut. sailing on further, mi the vent of out T.ord 1769, tic rounded ("'ape Maria V T nn Diemen and drooped ancho' ahouf a mile from ( the hind Cook exnlored the New Zealand roasts and made f ferment landincs to "xaminc its 'nlets and jits people: tho Endeavour which was the name of Cook's vessel sailed awa v after a si* months' ernise of New Zealand out he had won a name for himself amonG the natives or Maoris as thev were called. On his arrival in tinplnnd. Took gave a rosy account of the timber nn>l Dux. which he c/ated ahounded in the New Zealand forests; Britain however, had learnt a Kilter lesion from the American Revolu lion and refused to take New Zealand under her control At this period whalers hegan to come in New Zealand, who taught the Maoris to ho flidioncst and c j*eal. and the whole of Kncr'and was terrorised by the* news of the burning of the Bovd. tho crew of which wer- killed and eaten French shins also hetran to visit our shores, and Britain thought better than let the French take possession of New Zealand i'lov would bring her under British rule. Thus New Zealand was for the first time brought under England's C.overnment

So our history goes on till the present day, the land having risen out of tho depths of savagery to the heights of prosperity.