To the cynic the tale must be merely a minor portion of the "supreme ironic procession with laughter of gods in the background." To the writer it seems, at least, to give a very notable proof of the collective ability of a colonizing race to overcome obstacles and repair blunders.

The Colony of New Zealand is not a monument of the genius of any one man or group of men.

It is the outcome of the vitality and industry of a people obstinate but resourceful, selfish but honest, often ill-informed and wrong, but with the saving virtue of an ability to learn from their own mistakes.
From one standpoint the story of New Zealand ought not to take long to tell.

It stretches over less time than that of almost any land with any pretensions to size, beauty, or interest.

New Zealand was only discovered by Europeans in the reign of our King Charles I., and even then the Dutch explorer who sighted its lofty coasts did not set foot upon them.