WHAT ABEL TASMAN SAW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 177, 29 July 1932, Page 12

WHAT ABEL TASMAN SAW

SUGGESTION OF LIVE MOAS VISIT TO THREE KINGS TALL FIGURES ON HILLSIDES. When Abel Tasman visited New Zealand in 1643 he may have seen live moa birds. Ho reported having noticed huge figures on the Three Kings. Although he thought these were gigantic natives striding along the hillsides, it is now thought that the figures seen may have been those of moas. This arresting suggestion was made by Mr. H. Fildes at the lecture on the “First Moa Bone” recently given by Mr. T. Lindsay Buick to the Wellington Historical Society. Mr. Fildes raised the question of live moa birds having possibly been seen by some of Tasman’s crew when off the Three Kings islands in January, 1643. Tasman’s journal states that when his rowing boats approached the largest island of the group his men saw a number of natives of tall stature on the high hills, who when walking took enormous strides and vociferated in loud, rough voices.

Prior to this, and on December 19, 1642, Tasman and his men in his two ships had experienced his disastrous encounter with the natives—resulting in the death of four men—at what he named Murderer’s Bay (afterwards named Massacre Bay and later Golden Bay), Nelson, an experiewce that no doubt made for fear for many a day after in the stoutest hearts of the venturesome Dutchmen. From this spot Tasman sailed along the western coast of the North Island ' without attempting to land, and on January 4, 1643, sighted what is now Cape Maria Van Diemen, and the largest island of the Three Kings’ group. Being in need of fresh water and greens, he decided next day to attempt to land on the island, and to that end despatched two boats’ crews at noon. Toward evening they returned, without having been able to land on account of the surf, and also reporting that they saw in several places on the highest hills from 30 to 35 persons, men of tall stature, who called out to them in very loud, rough voices, and that those persons, in walking on, took enormous steps or strides. In rowing round the island they saw no habitations or cultivations, but in a bay were seen two canoes hauled on shore, one seaworthv, the other broken. “Tall Men, Armed With Sticks.” Next day Tasman’s ships were at. anchor a shot’s distance from the shore, and again an ineffective attempt was made to land, th© boats’ ’crews again reporting they saw tall men, armed with long sticks, standing on the heights, and who called out to them in very loud voices. At noon the ships set. sail and by sunset the islands were visible at six or seven miles distance.

What is regarded as certain, says the Dominion, is that Tasman’s men did not see Maoris of giant stature and able, when walking, to take enormous strides. They perhaps saw people of ordinary stature exaggerated througn curious atmospheric phenomena, or from a disordered mind. That they mav have seen two or three live moa. and in the distance over the water have mistaken them for men, is no more fantastical than is much of the theory that has been written around his extraordinary bird.

The moa is said to have had a hoarse note; it would certainly take long strides; it. is said to have affected the heights in preference to the flats, and those characteristics arc noted in Tasman’s tall hillmen of the Three Kings. Maoris and Moa Bones. Moa bones arc stated to have been found on the island group, and it has been alleged in reeen* times they wore taken there from tho mainland. It. is a fact, that when the Maoris of 18401850 were aware of tho keen desire of European moa-bone searchers to be shown bone deposits, they often met the demand by collecting odd bones and depositing them in sandhills and remote caves, and then guiding the moa-bone searchers to them. The sug gestion made by Mr. Fildes ccrtainiy strikes a new note in the theory of the mon. and it ran only remain a conjecture on a strangelv recordcd happening of 290 years ago.

A extraordinary thing about Captain Cook and,his galaxy of scientific men is that Cook visited Now Zen hind five times, and was 327 days in various parts of it. nnd not once heard of the moa or its hones, nor did later visitors up to Polnek’s residence in 1831 1837.