NEW ZEALAND HISTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 16, 19 June 1913, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND HISTORY.

VALUABLE FRENCH RECORDS. EARLY NORTH ISLAND MATERIAL. Wellington, June 17. The Hon. R. McNab'a political reverses have not been altogether a matter for regret, seeing tiiat he has been able to devote more time to the important work of New Zealand's historical research. Probably this enthusiastic researcher after remote facts has derived a good deal more satisfaction from his literary work of the last few years than could have been obtained by immersion in the political, maeltstrom. He is still busy with historical work, and contemplates another visit to the French archives. Outlining his plans, he states: "I intend* to continue on the early history of the North Island, and probably the first volume will take me up to Marsden's arrival at the Bay of Islands in 1814 or. perhaps to June 1830, according as I secure the material. A lot of the material I have ready, chiefly French records procured during my last visit to Paris, but the English records, although I know where they are, were never collected during former trips, as my work then was confined only to the South Island. This work," added Mr. McNab, "will be the first of three to deal with the early history of the North Island down to tlie same date as my works dealing with the South Island." In,response to a query as to the position of the historical records of New Zealand, Mr. McNab says: "The second volume' is almost ready for- publication, but as' the greaitbulk of it. contained toy own privately'collected journals and logs of English and French explorers, which I had not yet incorporated into my own historical work, the Government will hold over the publication of the volume until my next work come out to enable me to secure the first publication to the world of the voyages of De Surville and his visit to Mangoriui Harbor and the details of various expeditions in the Bay of Islands. Without that arrangement, the material could not have been handed over for publication in the records. SECOND VOLUME OF THE RECORDS. I hope to liberate a second volume of the records within twelve months or two years at the outside. I may say that the second volume gives promise of being the finest volume of records published in connection with any of the Australasian colonies. Are you giving the result of your investigations into the French operations at Akaroa? "Not in this volume," replied Mr. McNab, "but that is coming out. The material obtained was so voluminous as to necessitate a publication of its own, and had, with other material, to stand over for the future opportunity of publication in view of my anticipated visit shortly to France and another search amongst the French records. It will be just as well in the interests of completeness to hold it over in the meantime. In regard to the point at issue, however, namely, the proclamation of sovereignty, it is not a matter of doubt. The ceremony of proclaiming British sovereignty over the South Island has not yet taken place at Akaroa, noc has the celebrated international neck-and-neck race between France and Britain. ,