Old New Zealand A Tale of the Good Old Times by a Pakeha Maori [Paperback]

Published in 1863, this vivid account documents the traditional Maori way of life that was vanishing due to European influences.This lively eye-witness description of the then fast-disappearing traditional Maori way of life was published in 1863 by the Anglo-Irish trader Frederick Edward Maning (c.181183). Informal, opinionated and fast-moving, Maning's narrative ranks as a classic source on the early period of European settlement in New Zealand.This lively eye-witness description of the then fast-disappearing traditional Maori way of life was published in 1863 by the Anglo-Irish trader Frederick Edward Maning (c.181183). Informal, opinionated and fast-moving, Maning's narrative ranks as a classic source on the early period of European settlement in New Zealand.First published anonymously in 1863, this classic book recounts the experiences of Frederick Edward Maning (c.181183), an Anglo-Irish trader who emigrated to Tasmania with his family as a boy and later relocated to New Zealand. A self-styled 'Pakeha-Maori' ('Pakeha' is the Maori word for a white New Zealander), Maning acquired land and settled down with a Maori woman, occupying a tenuous position between the two cultures. Observing that the old Maori way of life was rapidly disappearing due to the increased European presence in New Zealand, Maning endeavoured to record Maori customs and material culture before all knowledge of them disappeared. Old New Zealand is a mixture of history, autobiography and anecdote, and the author insists all the incidents and people described are real. The language is informal, and the narrative vigorous and rapid, with lively dialogues and occasional Maori phrases. A glossary explains Maori words and concepts.Preface; 1. Introductory; 2. The market price of a pakeha; 3. A wrestling match; 4. A little affair of 'flotsam and jetsam'; 5. Every Englishman's house is his castle; 6. How I kept house; 7. Excitement caused by first contact with Europeans; 8. The Muru falling into dilóŸ