Page:Old Westland (1939).pdf/7

Rh To one minded to write of Westland, especially to one nurtured among its beauties and reared in its atmosphere of wild romance, a difficult choice of subject presents itself. The author of this history has escaped that dilemma. As part of the scheme to mark the centenary of New Zealand the people of Westland, like other communities throughout the country, have decided to have written the history of their district. To Mr. Lord, a native and therefore a lover of Westland, was entrusted the task. Feeling, perhaps, that he was too near contemporary events he has limited his work to Old Westland.

He is obviously a diligent searcher of old records and has presented his collection in convenient and orderly arrangement. Thus we find in historical sequence the traditional Maori accounts of the aboriginal discovery and settlement of this West Coast of the South Island; then the first European approaches to these shores by Tasman and later and more intimately by Cook. Following the discovery by the latter of the excellent harbours of the West Coast Sounds and the presence there of seals in large numbers came the sealers who, with the whalers in other parts, were the first traders to New Zealand. Then our author tells the thrilling and at times the tragic story of those brave men who explored this difficult and unknown locality. And then by way of climax he tells us with much graphic detail of the spacious and