Author Description

In 1863, a group of 13 Maoris, led by former Wesleyan lay preacher and interpreter William Jenkins, arrived in England to present illustrated public lectures on New Zealand. This volume tells the story of that tour, which began with a dizzy rise to the height of London society, culminated in an audience with Queen Victoria, but ultimately became the subject of bitter controversy when the Maori visitors began to feel that they were mere pawns in Jenkins's plan to make his fortune. Often told in the words of the protagonists through their diaries and letters, this book offers rare insights into the encounter of the Maori and European worlds in the 19th century.