The comparative narrowness of the New Zealand Islands has prevented that scope of expeditionary discovery which has prevailed in Australia. Yet there are incidents attending the laying down of its coast lines, the settling and opening up of its islands, mountains, and forests, that possess a deep interest.

THE SURVEY OF THE COASTS

The great work of surveying the coasts, which Cook commenced in 1769, was nearly completed by Drury in 1856. To D'Urville of the French marines, and Stokes and Drury of the Royal Navy, the world is indebted for a complete outline of the coast; and to Captain Richards, Royal Navy, and Mr. Evans, Royal Navy, for an excellent description of them. The New Zealand coast-line is, indeed, better laid down than that of almost any country save Great Britain. It is worthy of remark that all these officers bore testimony to the correctness of Captain Cook's early surveys, and were surprised that the great navigator could have obtained such accuracy with means so imperfect.

Every part of the North Island had now been visited by Europeans; but much of the interior of the Middle Island was yet unknown. Mr. Thomas Brunner received the Geographical Society's gold medal for a journey across it in 1846, (see Geographical Society's Transactions). Dr. Monro drove the first flock of sheep from Nelson to the Wairau; Captain Mitchell and Mr. Dashwood discovered a tract from Nelson to Canterbury; cattle were driven from Otago to Canterbury in 1853; and, in 1858, Mr. G. J. T. Thomson gave the first sketch of the province of Otago.