Staplehurst, Kent, England
Mr. Whiting peeked from behind the threadbare curtain, moving it aside carefully to remain unobserved as he considered the local residents who had come here this evening to hear him speak. The fifty seats were all filled and the audience waited with growing impatience for the lecture to begin.
George Whiting was an agent for the New Zealand Company; he travelled from town to town throughout the region of Kent, England, performing lectures on New Zealand. Each lecture varied and was structured on the immediate needs of the Company. Tonight he would be focusing on attracting the attentions of skilled people such as mechanics, carpenters and agricultural workers who could be persuaded to emigrate. His deliberate delay in appearing before the townsfolk was orches
