EARLY PACIFIC HISTORY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19475, 9 May 1925, Page 15

EARLY PACIFIC HISTORY.

At the University Club rooms last evening the first of a series of lectures for the year was given by Dr Elder, Professor of history at Otago University, the subject being "Captain Cook *.nd his Predecessors.” 'liie lecture proved to bo one of the most interesting that has been given in the ciub rooms. Perhaps to some of the audience the most striking part of the lecture was what the professor called the “Viking Ago of the Pacific,” when he dealt with the daring nature of the voyages made in their small canoes by the earliest Polynesian adventurers of whose enterprise we have any record. Ho mentioned that the voyages of exploration and discovery carried out by one, Hui-To-Rangiora, stood out as the most adventurous in the roebrds of seamanship when we took into account the smallness of the. canoes used and the lack of knowledge of the laws of navigation. Voyages to southern groups of the Pacific were made by Kupe, who ranked next io Hui-To-Rangiora. It was he who sailing from the distant Society Group, made the first landing in New Zealand forty generations ago, about the beginning of the tenth century, and nearlv 800 years before the epoch-making voyage oi Tasman. . , After giving an interesting outline of Kupo’s voyage down the oast coast of the North Island, and then through Cook Strait down to what is now known as Milford Sound, the lecturer dealt with /he voyages of European seamen from Spain, Portugal. Holland, and Prance, until the era of Cook’s enterprises was reached. Ihe lecture was embellished with allusions and deductions concerning the renaissance periods in the different maritime ballons of Europe, and also with the anti-Reforma-tion period of Spain and the Armada. Ihe inter-relation of and bearing upon the spirit of exploration and discovery of these national outbursts was outlined m a wav that greatly appealed to the lecturer s hearers. . , , , . . , Dr Hercus, who occupied the chair, introduced the lecturer. At the conclusion of the lecture Dr Hercus voiced the opinion of the members when he complimented the professor on the manner in which ho had presented his subject. Comments of an interesting nature were afterwards made Ivy Messrs Tonkmson, Steven?, and Gilkison, Professor Thomson, and Inspectors Fleming and Robertson. Mr Tonkinson moved a vote of (hanks io the lecturer, which was heartily applauded, and Dr Elder replied, mentioning, amongst other things, that he thought the' time had arrived when a course of history should bo studied, having for its outlook and purpose. New Zealand and Polynesian histnrv, distinct from and fmmixed with British] history. That a policy of research should lie oificially initiated was the. unanimous opinion of-the audience.