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CONTENTS:
New Zealand
This month's postings (see below) include a number of short story
collections by Katherine Mansfield (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Mansfield),
a notable writer who was born in New Zealand.
That reminds me that it is time I gave some space to Austrlaia's
neighbour across the Tasman Sea, so here I go.
The Maoris were in New Zeland for several hundred years before Abel
Tasman sailed up the western coast in 1643. See http://gutenberg.net.au/pages/tasman.html
for a map and links to ebooks relating to Tasman and his voyages. Tasman
failed to recognise that there were, in fact, two islands. He initially
gave the land the name "Staten Landt." However, once it was discovered
that the "Staten Landt" of Tasman was not part of the so-called "State
Landt", the name "Nova Zeelandia", or "Nieuw Zeeland" was attributed. The
name "Zelandia", or "Zeeland", appeared on maps for the first time around
1645.
In 1769 and 1770 James Cook, before sailing west and encountering the
east coast of Australia, circumnavigated New Zealand and established that
there were two islands separated by a strait (Cook Strait). See http://gutenberg.net.au/pages/cook.html
for a map and links to ebooks relating to Cook and his voyages. Cook
named many of the geographical features as he sailed along the coast. One
New Zealand name, in particular, that intrigued me was "Doubtful Sound"
on the south-west coast. Was it 'doubtful' that it was indeed a sound?
Reference to Cook's journal clarified the matter. Cook believed that if
he took the Endeavour into the sound, it was doubful whether he would be
able to sail it out again:
"A little before Noon [14 March 1770] we passed a little Narrow opening
in the land, where there appear'd to be a very Snug Harbour, form'd by an
Island, in the Latitude of 45 degrees 16 minutes South; inland, behind
this Opening, were Mountains, the summits of which were Cover'd with Snow
that seem'd to have fallen lately, and this is not to be wondered at, for
we have found it very cold for these 2 days past. The land on each side
the Entrance of this Harbour riseth almost perpendicular from the Sea to
a very considerable Height; and this was the reason why I did not attempt
to go in with the Ship, because I saw clearly that no winds could blow
there but what was right in or right out, that is, Westerly or Easterly;
and it certainly would have been highly imprudent in me to have put into
a place where we could not have got out but with a wind that we have
lately found to blow but one day in a Month. I mention this because there
was some on board that wanted me to harbour at any rate, without in the
least Considering either the present or future Consequences."
In "An Account of the English Colony of NSW", Volume 1, published in
1798, written by David Collins, (see http://gutenberg.net.au/pgaus.html#collins2)
the Conclusion gives an early account of New Zealand and its inhabitants
as observed by the Europeans.
There is also a number of texts relating to New Zealand History at
Project Gutenberg (http://gutenberg.org), including:
Station Life in New Zealand
Five Years in New Zealand 1859 to 1864
A Narrative of a Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand in 1827
James Cowan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cowan_%28New_Zealand_writer%29)
was a New Zealand non-fiction writer, noted for his books on colonial
history and Maori ethnography. A fluent Maori speaker, he was able to
interview many veterans of the Land Wars. His book "The New Zealand wars:
a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period", published in
two volumes, was considered the definitive account until recent times. We
hope to make this work available at PGA in the future.
We might also devote a web page to New Zealand history and literature, so
if you are aware of any other New Zealand writers who are represented at
Project Gutenberg (US) or whose work could be turned into ebooks at PGA,
please contact us via our contact page at http://gutenberg.net.au/contactform.htm.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
(Women speak of Friendship, Love and Marriage)
* * * * *
I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.--Zsa Zsa
Gabor
* * *
I count time by your absence; I have not seen you all morning, and is it
not an age since then?--Peg Woffington
* * *
When she raises her eyelids it's as if she were taking off all her
clothes.--Colette
* * * * *
Never go to bed. Stay up and fight.--Phyllis Diller
* * *
It doesn't matter what you do in the bedroom as long as you don't do it
in the street and frighten the horses.--Mrs Patrick Campbell
Australian Poetry
THE BAND
Hey, there! Listen awhile! Listen awhile, and come.
Down in the street there are marching feet, and I hear the beat of a
drum.
Bim! Boom!! Out of the room! Pick up your hat and fly!
Isn't it grand? The band! The band! The band is marching by!
Oh, the clarinet is the finest yet, and the uniforms are gay.
Tah, rah! We don't go home--
Oom, pah! We won't go home--
Oh, we shan't go home, and we can't go home when the band begins to
play.
Oh, see them swinging along, swinging along the street!
Left, right! buttons so bright, jackets and caps so neat.
Ho, the Fire Brigade, or a dress parade of the Soldier-men is grand;
But everyone, for regular fun, wants a Big-Brass-Band.
The slide-trombone is a joy alone, and the drummer! He's a treat!
So, Rackety-rumph! We don't go home--
Boom, Bumph! We won't go home--
Oh, we shan't go home, and we can't go home while the band is in the
street.
Tooral-ooral, Oom-pah!
The band is in the street!
From 'A Book for Kids' by C J Dennis
http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html#dennis
A list of all the books we provide is available from http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty.html
Check there to see if there are other works by the authors listed
below
-- MARCH POSTINGS -- Mar 2008 Tales of Twilight and the Unseen, Arthur C Doyle [080029xx.xxx] 1611A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800291.txt or .zip http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800291h.html [Author full name: Arthur Conan Doyle] Mar 2008 Balaoo, Gaston Leroux [080028xx.xxx] 1610A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800281.txt or .zip http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800281h.html Mar 2008 Tong Torture, Emile C Tepperman [080027xx.xxx] 1609A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800271.txt or .zip Mar 2008 The Blood-red Cross, Robert Eustace [080026xx.xxx] 1608A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800261.txt or .zip Mar 2008 The Face of the Abbot, Robert Eustace [080025xx.xxx] 1607A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800251.txt or .zip Mar 2008 In a German Pension, Katherine Mansfield [080024xx.xxx] 1606A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800241.txt or .zip Mar 2008 The Garden Party, Katherine Mansfield [080023xx.xxx] 1605A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800231.txt or .zip Mar 2008 Something Childish and Other Stories, K Mansfield [080022xx.xxx] 1604A [Full Name: Katherine Mansfield] http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800221.txt or .zip Mar 2008 Again the Three, Edgar Wallace [080021xx.xxx] 1603A http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800211.txt or .zip http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800211h.html
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