New Zealand

J. S. Polack (1807-82) lived in New Zealand during 1831-7 and 1842-50. An enterprising businessman and land speculator, he traded in timber and flax and in 1835 set up the first brewery in the country. He also learned the Maori language, and warned against the destructive effects of unorganized European settlement on Maori society, while arguing for the benefits of systematic colonization. This two-volume work, published in 1838, was the first of two successful books Polack published about his experiences in New Zealand and is still regarded as an important and impartial source about the period immediately preceding the Treaty of Waitangi. Volume 1 outlines the discovery of the islands, their climate, geology, fauna and population. Volume 2 focuses on Maori material culture, traditional beliefs, and warfare (including lurid reports of cannibalism), and on the early interactions of Maori and Europeans through trade, missions and whaling.