The story of how the map of New Zealand emerged is a fascinating one. The
first full map of the islands was published in London in 1773, which might seem
the natural starting point, but over the preceding 150 years, fragments of
charts and intelligence about New Zealand ricocheted around various parts of the
world. In A Draught of the South Land, Paul Moon provides the first
comprehensive account of this piecemeal process.
Moon's investigation covers several continents over more than a century, and
reveals the personalities, blunders, strategic miscalculations, scientific
brilliance, and imperial power-plays that were involved. Above all, he examines
the roles played by explorers and traders, Maori and European rulers, scientific
societies and military groups, as well as specialist cartographers and
publishers. At a time when maps as colonial tools, enablers of trade and objects
of curiosity are being studied anew, his careful analysis and engaging narrative
will be of interest to scholars everywhere.
