'N. Zealand's Forgotten

Man'

rpHAT indefatigable student of New A Zealand and Polynesian history, Mr.

Eric Ramsden, has written a new and better book, “New Zealand’s For gotten Man—Busby of Waitangi.” It is the first biography of the first adminis trative official to appear in New Zealand, and it is compiled from family records’

Busby’s unpublished despatches and a mass of hitherto unsighted material which took six years to accumulate and examine.

The story of Busby is a remarkable one and pictures a man who seemed fated to a life-time of struggle against adversity. We first meet young James Busby haunting the corridors of White hall. urging his family’s claim to a early passage to Australia. This finally is accomplished, and within two years of their arrival in New South Wales, the Busbys are well on their way to pros perity. Had James been content to re main in New South Wales, devoting him self to his land and his viticulture, he probably would have died a wealthy and successful man. But nothing could pre vent his going off to New Zealand. He assumed office as British agent there in 1832; and then he spent 40 years in fighting—first, to uphold what he re garded as British law. and later in defence of his “rights” as a private citizen—he claimed title to much land.

In the end he is vindicated, but it is a hollow victory. Busby is an aged and worn-out man; his hearing is gone, and he is almost blind, and in the following year—lB7l—while in London, he catches a chill and dies. (Our copy from Angus & Robertson, Ltd., Sydney. Price, 15/- )