[NEW ZEALAND]
Latest Information from the Settlement of New Plymouth
A crisp copy of this account of New Plymouth, on the west coast of the North Island. In 1828, Richard Barrett established the first trading post in what is now New Plymouth. They traded firearms for flax and grains with the Maoris and negotiated the purchase of land from them on behalf of the New Zealand Company. The first settlers arrived in 1841 and this pamphlet, published the following year, contains an important record of their early experiences. It contains neat overview of the establishment of the colony, trade with the Maoris as well as notes on agriculture and even a labour strike. Of great interest are the letters written by the settlers themselves, which are all dated either October or November 1841. Hocken, p103.
