This collection of first-hand accounts, drawn from early writings and out-of-print books, lets the first Europeans to visit this country tell their own stories of exploration, risk and adventure. Abel Tasman and Joseph Banks write of their first encounters with the people of this new land, followed by missionaries, traders, whalers and sealers, regency bucks, gentlemen scientists and entrepreneurs keen to explore its possibilities. Told in their own words, these stories bring to life a young country yet to come under British rule. This collection, first published in 1992 by The Bush Press, brings back into print many hard-to-find and otherwise unpublished stories, packaged in an attractive gift edition with a modern look.