A NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY.

Wairarapa Age, 18 December 1924, Page 4

A NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY.

It was on December 18, 1642, that Abel Janszoon Tasman, the great iFutch. navigator, anchored at the entrance of a “wide opening,” which he took to be a “fine bay,” now known as Cook Strait. To this spot he gave the name of Moordenaars (Murderers, now softened to Massacre) Bay, where several of his men were killed by the natives on December 19. As a matter of historical fact, however, Tasman first discovered this “high mountainous country,” which he called Staten landt, or Land of the States (of Holland), on December 13, 1642. It was the final discovery in a year of great achievement by the intrepid navigator. Early'in the year he had set out on his great “South Land” expedition, which was planned and organised by Governor Van Diemen, who cherished great schemes for the extension of tjio Dutch colonial empire. The first result of his voyage was the proof it gave that the South Land did not stretch away to the southern Pole, but was entirely circled by sea within comparatively moderate limits. From Batavia, Tasman sailed seven weeks south by east, and on Noyember 24, discovered Tasmania. He left that island on December 5 and steered east for the Solomon Islands. Eight days later he sighted the coast of New Zealand, believing it to form part of the same great Antarctic continent as the other Staten landt which Schouten and Lemaire had sighted and named to the cast of Tierra del Fuego. After the loss of his men at Massacre Bay, Tasman sailed south-east along the south shore of Cook Strait, apparently getting into Blind or Tasman Bay, but not discovering the full extent of the waterway dividing the

two main islands of New 2calanfl. Re turning westward, the navigator coasted up the west side of the North Island, and on January' 4, he was off North Cape. Ho sailed away and presently discovered the Tongan or Friendly Group.