Pakeha Rambles Through Maori Lands - Paperback

by John H. H. St John (Author)

First published in 1873, Pakeha Rambles Through Maori Lands is an account of life in early colonial New Zealand as seen through the eyes of John H. H. St. John. When St. John arrived in New Zealand, he was twenty-seven years old and a veteran of the Crimean War. He joined the Waikato Militia and went on to become a Lieutenant-Colonel. This edition is digitally remastered, and supported with over 150 annotations to aid with understanding. The book includes: - Four chapters on life in the Waikato during the 1830s. - The defense of Rotorua in 1867 against Hauhau attack. - Ambushes in the bush around Opotiki and the hunt for Te Kooti. - Visits to early Taupo and Huka Falls. - The aftermath of the Poverty Bay Massacre of 1868. - An early visit to the natural wonders of Lake Waikaremoana. - A coach ride from Wellington to Taranaki in the 1870s.

Author Biography

John Henry Herbert St. John was born in France on 4 December 1835. His father was an illegitimate son of Viscount Bolingbroke, who had fallen in love with his half-sister. Together they moved to France to save the family any embarrassment. For a while the family lived incognito under the assumed surname Barton. At the age of 19, St. John enlisted as ensign with the 20th Regiment of Foot. He saw brief action in the Crimean War, the war ending six months after he arrived. He came home a Lieutenant and went on to purchase a Captain's commission in 1860, aged twenty-four. The rest of his time with the 20th Regiment of Foot was spent in England and Ireland. In December 1862 St. John sold his commission, resigned from the army, and moved to New Zealand. On arrival St. John signed up with the Auckland Militia and gained a commission as Major, dated 29 October 1863. He then joined the 1st Regiment of the Waikato Militia and served in Waikato, Tauranga, Opotiki, and the East Coast.