GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14613, 1 September 1913, Page 2

GENERAL.

THE LAND WE LIVE IN.

NEW ZEIALAM>: THE GEM OF THE- PACIFIC.

SOMEI INTEIROEiSTING DETAILS

DISCOVERT AN© EAiRLiY SETTLE

MENT.

The first 'authentic account of the discovery of New Zealand is that giv eu by Abel Jamsen Tasmian the -Juton naviigator. He left Batavia on the Hth of AVgust, 1645, in the yacht 'iHtatJinskercq', accompanied by the 'Zeehaen' (or Sea Hen) fly-boat.- Alter having visited 'Van Diemeu's Land' in honour of Anthony Van *)ienien, Governor of the Dutch possessions in the Etast Indies, he steered eastward, and on I'3'th of December ol the same year sighted the west coast of the Soutih Island .of New Zea land, described 'by him as 'a. hi^h mountiainous country.'

Tasman, under the belief that the land he sa.w .belton'ged to> a "gpreat r>olar continent, and was part of the country discovered some years before by S'cihouten 'and!- Le -Mlaire, to Which tihe name of 'Starten Hand' had been given, gave the siame name of Stuten Land to New Zealand; but with in about Stih.x^ei© months, 'afterwards Sohouteri's 'Sfcaten Land was 'found to ibe- merely ran inconisideraible island. Upon this discovery being 1 announced the country that Tasman hiad called SMten Land received !.he name, of ; New 23ealand ', by which It has ever since been known. Tamilian sailed 'alone; the coast to &> bay, where he 'anchored. To this . he giave the name of ■Murderers, (isince termed. 'Massacre or Golden) Bay, on account-of an unprovoked attack on a boat's crew by the Natives, and the massacre of four of the white men. .Thence h© steered along the-, west coast of the North Island, and gave the name of Cape Maria. Van Dliemen to the nortlh-'w.&stern extremity thereof. After sighting the Islands- of Three Kings he finally departed, not having set foot in country.

There is no record of any visit to New Zealand after Tasman's departure' u-n'til the time of Captain Co A. Avh<o>, after leaving the Society Islands, sailed in search of a* soutihcM'n continent then believed to exist. He si.»'hlcd land on the 6it.li of October, lfC'9, ait Young Nick's H'oud. and -m the Bth of .that month cast 'anchor :n ■Poverty Bay. After having; coasted round the North. Island and the South and Stewart Islands-^ 'which last She ' mistook for a, pa.rt of ■')ifcj .South, Island—-he took his departure from Cape Farewell on the 31st of March, 1770, for Australia. He visit ed New Zealand .again in 177: }». in l'T74, and in 1777.

iM. de .Surville, <a French officer In command of the vessel 'Saint Jean Bftptiste', while on a voyage of discovery, .sighted the north-east, coast

of New Zealand .on the 12th of December, 1769, and remained for a short time. A .visis was soon after paid by another French officer, M. Marion dv Fresne, who arrived on the west coiast of the North Island of New Zealand on the 2i4th of March, 1772, but was ,on the 12ith June, following- nuifefered at the Bay of Is lands by Natives. /

Captain George Vancouver in the •'Discovery' accompanied by Captain Btoughito'n in the 'Chatham', anchored in "Dusky Fay, on the West, Coast of the ■South Isi'and, on the of November, 1791, .and remained there until- the -21st.; After leaving Dusky Bjay the "two vessels parted company during a gale.:'not meeting again -.until their arrival at O'Mieite. During the passage oTkhe 'Chatham' to. this place. Captain' B;r=oughton discovered and named the Chia.thiam Islands (-m the '29th of 'November, ■ 1791.) . Oiv the Stih' of November, 1792, the 'B'rit.annia' (Captain Raven), anchored in Facile Bjavbour on the west eo'ast of the South Island. She oame from Sydney for the "puirpose of securing seal-skinis. A panty of men

\vas landed and accommodation was ■built 'and, on the :Ist of December, the 'iJMtami'isi' sailed for the Cape of Good Hope. ,On her return on the *27 December, ;1793, the men were found to: be in pood health. So far as is

known, this was the first instance of Europeans, 'being left in New Zealand to their own resources.

The Spanish expedition in the vessel's 'Dbscu-braertia' and 'A'trevida' the

former ■commanded by Alejandro Mul Mispina and the latter 'by Jose de.Bustamenfe y Guerra, sighted the west, coast of this South Island, on the 215 th February, 1793. A. boat's crew went into Doubtful Bay, whilst the vessel remained, outside the entrance. Next morning; they unsuccessfully attempted to enter Dusky Bay, but the weather becoming 1 stormy, they !olt for. Sydney, after givingl Spanish nfames to several places in &:nd around! Dusky an 3 "Doubtful Hays.

In 17i9'3 also the- 'Daedulus' underthe command of Lieutenant Hanson, wiais 'Sent by the Government of New South. Wales to New Zealand, and two chiefs "were"taken thence to> Nor.folk Island. There was after this an occasional intercourse between the Is lands of New Zealand ,and the Enffliish settlements -in New South Wales. .

On the 23rd of May, 1820, Thaddeus Bbllins'shausen, dn command of the two Russian ships 'WoS'tok' and 'Miirny' isaiiled' into Cook Strait, in thi& course of his voyage round the world. The vessels anchored in -cii Charlotte Sound, on the of May, and remained there until the 3rd of June.

In 181-11 the first mission'anes arrived in -New Zealand—Messrs -Hall mid 1 Kendall—iliad been sent as forerunners by Mr Marsden, chaplain ;o the New- South Wale* Qovemment. After .a short stay they .returned to .•New South Wales, and on'thi* 19tli of INTovemlber of that year ajrain emTferked in company with Mr Mar>rlen, who preachedl his first sermon ; n New Zealand on Christmas Day, !fill. 'Hb returned to Sydney on the 213 rd of March, 1815, leaving Messrs Hall, Kendall, 'and Kinjr, who formed: the first niiss>ioTi station at Ran«ri-i hoiw, Biay of Islands, under the auspices of tlii? 'Church Missionary Society. Six velars later, in 182,1", the work of •eva.nge&atioffi was put on a more durable 'ba.sis; but tire first ■station of the Wesfeyan Mission, es-. ti'ribllsh-ed by Mr Leisrh, and his \vifs alt- the Valley "of the Kaeo, TVTuiii<r:\roa, was not 'taken possession of lvntilthe 10th of June, 182?,.