GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 83, 19 August 1868, Page 2

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND.

» In tbo reports of the Examiners at tho recent competition for tho Government Scholarships, it was specially noticed tbat the boys who presented themselves as candidates were, with few exceptions, most lamentibly ignorant of tho gcoicruphy of Now Zetland. This f*ot b „nly a fresh exemplification ot the truth of an old comprint, A few yeart ago, as tho reports of the vwlou* $ch-ol Inspectors will show, the children attending school in the United Kingdom w.ore often moro intimately acquainted— after a fashion —with the geography of tho most distant portions of the world tban with the natural features, products, and artiflclal di vision*- of thoir own land. And it is even now a common complnint thnt lads brought up at Eton, Marrow, Hugby, and other public schools, kow a great deal moro about ancient than modern geography. That our children know little of th* geography of New Zealand is due principally to the fi»ct that, till very recently, thero has been no convenient manual on tho subject. Mr Bow.ien, ths Inspector of ScltoW In the Wellington province, nude a laudable effort to supply tbis want somo timo ago; and the little volume which we have now the pleasure of welcoming from the pen of .Mr Wylde, is a very meritorious production In the same direction. Having seen nnd carefully examined both, we are in a position to say— and wo do not wish to detract from the merits of ,\ir Dowdcu'e hoik In saying it— that Mr Wyldo's work will be found rooro comprehensive, more convenient, and to the full as uoiiurntu. Mr Wylde appears to have drawn hia information from tho best sources, and here we would specially commend the plan of giving footnote references to larger works. To children these may not be of much uso, but teachers will And it to their advantngo—they ought to make it their duty— to oonsult tbo authorities to which Ur Wylde has referred them. By doing so, they will be able to Amplify nnd supplement the necessarily condensed information of tho manual. A glance at tho tabic of contents informs in that this small volume supplies a general description of New Zealand, information as to its discovery, a description of each IsUnd and each province, notes on the colouration of tho country, its political constitution, and natural history, with some account of the Natlvo disturbances. To the above are appended several useful tables from tho returns of the census taken At the close of 1867. Mr Wylde has ndoptcd the plan of imparting his information by means of qnestion and answer— en tho well-known and longapproved method of several standard school hooks. And for many reasons this plan is the beat, so far as tho mere elements are concerned. The careful, cxperiened, and conscientious teacher, while hia pupils commit to memory the main facts that nre necessary to tlie future acquirement of a more extensive knowledge, will supplement dry details from the fulness of his own store i nnd be will find in Mr Wyldo's Manual an excellent foundation for tbe superstructure which he desires to raise in due time. Wo trust Mr Wylde's labours will meet with such substantial reward aa will encourage him to furnish our boys and girls with manuals on the geography and history of the wholo of Oceania. * "A Geography and History of New Zoaland, for the Use of Schools.*''' By James Wylde, 0.X., Member of the Philosophical Institute.