Front Matter

Shouting their war-whoops, they dashed at him.

To Robin Lang

My Dear Robin, I dedicate this little book to you, because there is in it a good deal about the land in which you were born, New Zealand.

In so small a volume it is not possible to tell you a tenth part of all that Captain Cook did. Indeed, the whole of the book might have been taken up with an account of his visits to New Zealand alone; and even then much that he saw and did in Maori-land would be left untold.

But if you read what I have written, perhaps you may then want to know more about Captain Cook and his discoveries, and you will turn to better and longer accounts of his voyages. You will then see more clearly how great was this man, who, from apprentice on a North Sea coal ship, rose to be Post-Captain in the British Navy, and the most famous man in England.