THIS WEEKS ANNIVERSARY

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 5, 21 December 1928, Page 11

THIS WEEKS ANNIVERSARY

INj TASMAN'S DAY. BOAT CHEW MURDERED. On December 19th, 1(5-12, six clay* after Tasman first sighted New Zealand, four of his men were killed by the Maoris at a point near Cape Fareiwell, cJJJjed, from this circuit stance, Murderers' Bay. "Historical Records of New Zealand" gives Tasman's account of the matter as follow*: Item the 19th December.-Early in tho morning ,* boat manned with) thirteen natives approached) to about a stone's east from ou r ships. They called cut several times, but we dm

not understand them. As far as we; could observe, those people were of ordinary height. They hi id' rough voices audi strong bones,' the colour of their sking being between brown and yellow. They wore tufts of black ■hair right upon the top of their heads, tied fast, in the manner of the Japanese, at the Kick of the heads, but somewhat longer and thicker, and surmounted by ,a large, thick, white feater. We repeatedly made sign for tllem to ' com<3, _ on board! of ns. They did not come nearer, however, and at last" paddled back to shore. APPARENTLY FRIENDLY.

We convened a council, and resolved to go as near the shcre as we could, since there was good »n----ohorin ground here, and these people apparently, sought our friend sin |> Shortly after we saw seven more bents put off from thje shore, one of which, padflled round behind the Zeehaen, while another lapproaohed to within half a stone's throw of our ship. We held! up and showed to them white linens etc, but they remained where they were. The stepper of the Zeehaen now sent out to them his ypiarfermastftr with her cook-boat with six paddlers in it. While the; cook-boat was paddbng on its way to her those in the prow nearest to- us called out to these -*ho were lying behind the Zeehaen, and waved their paddles to them, but we could not make out what they meant. Justus the cock-boirt had put off from board again, these in the prow before us, between the Wo ships began to paddle Ro furiously towards it, that, when they were about half-way, they struck the code beat so violently alongside with the stem of then- prow that it got a violent lurch, noon which the foremost man in this prow of villains, With a long, blunt pike, thrust the q uartermaster in the '«*"£ times with so .much force that the poor m^ l £dl overboard.

FOUR SAILORS KILLED. Upon this the other natives, with short, thick clubs and with thcnr paddles, fell upon the men m the r c k-boat, and overcame, them. by ter and two.sailors swam to our ship. m6n were killed and* *J mortally woundedf J£he quartei master and wo sailors swam to our ship, fo murderers" set the cock-boat adrift, haviu g taken one of the dead bodies into their prow M thrown yvnether into the sea. Ourselves an« \i r, :»nawl the Zeehaen diligentthose on ooaut who l v fired our muskets and guns and though we clTd not hit any of them the two prows madle haste-toJbp shore, where they were out cf reach s bot With our fore upper deck and bow gun, we now, fired several-shot Ttho direction of their prows, but rJVthe shots took effect Th^ ~,• Jcinuer in command of oui , ruin OUT blvl|l |«_i , . fiance, well manned land armed forthwith returned with it to our shins hliV.np; found in it one of the tl 'iJIcHS and one morally wounded We now weighed anchor and set! sail, since we could not hope to enter into any friendly relations with these people, or to be *Me to get water or | refreshments Here.