RAGE FOR COLLECTING NEW ZEALAND BOOKS-A NEW HISTORY OF THE COLONY.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 196, 26 March 1887, Page 8

RAGE FOR COLLECTING NEW ZEALAND BOOKS-A NEW HISTORY OF THE COLONY.

The number of colonists and Anglocolonists smitten with the mania for collooting books about New Zealand must be considerable, judging by the rapidity with which all old books that come into the market are bought up, and the prices they realise. A second hand bookseller in Holywell tells me be knows where to find buyers for every volume of the kind that cotx>e3 into his hand. Angus's "New Zealand Illustrated," which ten years ago sold slowly at five guineas, will now-a days readily fetch £25, and the volumes of "Missionaiy Notices" of the early times are eagerly bought up at handjj some prices. Now Zealand has been productive of more literature than any other country in the world if we take population as the baeis. Up to the present the bibliography has reached to more than 400 volumes, 500 pamphlets, and tons of Partfa mentary papers. And the cry ia "Still they come, 1 ' for there is now a popular work in preparation on the model cf Thomson's "Story of New Zealand," by a well- known colonist, formerly a member of the Government, and for some years past a resident in London, who is in every way fitted for the eeif-im-posed task. I cannot at present give any closer indication of the " coming author " without betraying confidence. Prominent amongst collectors of works on New Zealand in London are Mr Townend, of the " Argua," Mr Henniker Heaton, and Sir W. L. Buller, Mr Leopold Bull«r, who is studying at Hoidelberg, has been over here for a week or two to eat some of the necessary dinners at the Temple. Mr Chas. Dv Val, the well-known entertainer, leaveß England immediately on another long tour, which will include an exhaustive round of all towns of note in Australia and New Zealand.