The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY JULY 19, 1886. Oceana.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1292, 19 July 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY JULY 19, 1886. Oceana.

Mr J. A Froude’s Oceana has been so well abused by the Colonial Press that we may be guilty of something like tedious iteration in again referring to the fabulist’s graphic narrative of his four weeks’ sojourn in isolated portions of this colony. No one, having a practical acquaintance with New Zealand and the interests of the colony at heart, can rise from a perusal of Mr Froude’s entertaining book without a Feling of indignation and disgust; but we really think the probable effects of the author’s misrepresentations have been very much over-estimated. Mr Froude is better known in England than in New Zealand, and the knowledge will induce the Home readers of Oceana to receive its cum grano salts. Fortunately for New Zealand this is not the first book Mr Froude has written. Were it his first literary effort it might carry more weight, it might be received as a young author’s earnest effort to describe things as they are ; but a charming history of England and many minor works—allot a similar character—have placed his accepted value as an historian and faithful chronicler ol facts at a considerable discount. As an able and pleasing writer Mr Froude will long be remembered by the British public, but he will never be quoted as an authority upon any of the numerous subjects of which his facile pen has treated, i He took no trouble to acquaint himself with English history before undertaking the somewhat formidable task of writing the political essay he has styled a history of England, and it was not likely he would exercise more care in compiling an account of his visit ' to Auckland, the Hot Lakes, and '

Kawau. None but a careless, old and egotistical man could have written Oceana. We believe the book will do New Zealand little or no harm, and we are half inclined to treat the whole affair as a huge joke. There is a strong reflection of Sir George Grey’s impracticable radicalism, there is a little weak cynicism, and a great deal of J. A. Froude, but Jthe sum is an amusing book at which philosophical colonists can afford Jto laugh. Mr Froude has fallen into the error of describing Auckland and the immediate neighborhood as “New Zealand,” and, as a result, has made statements which will astound the settlers in other parts of the colony. He tells us in one part of his book, when referring to the position of parties in the British House of Commons, that the universal feeling, outside England, towards the leader of the Liberal party (Mr Gladstone) has became blind in its animosity. This is a fair sample of the force and in-1

accuracy with which Mr Froude attempts to represent the political

sentiments of the colony. Here is an anecdote by which our author proposes to illustrate the social anomalies of

Auckland—A poor clergyman’s wife with a sick husband was tempted by the handsome bunches of grapes which she saw in a shop window. She laid them down with a sigh when she was

told the price. The shopman pitied her. “ Tis’nt the likes of you ” he| aid “ that can afford them grapes ; we keep them for the working men’s ladies ”

Of Mr Froude’s strictures upon the

indebetdness of the colony we need say little, they have already been noticed

and condemned at length, but it is worthy of note that our critic does not

commit himself to figures. He airily

describes the State debt as between

thirty and forty millions, and observes

that the debts of the municipalities are

a startling addition to it. We hardly like to recommend the perusal of a book abounding in ridiculous and possibly misleading inaccuracies, but the colonits who can enjoy a laugh at a great man’s blunders can find abundant entertainment in Mr Froude’s Oceana.