24 cook's first voyage march, 



CHAP. VIII. 



A GENERAL ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND: ITS FIRST DISCOVERY, 

 SITUATION, EXTENT, CLIMATE, AND PRODUCTIONS. 



New Zealand was first discovered by Abel Jansen 

 Tasman, a Dutch navigator, whose name has been 

 several times mentioned in this narrative, on the 13th 

 of December, in the year 1642. He traversed the 

 eastern coast from latitude 34 to 43, and entered the 

 streight which divides the two islands, and in the 

 chart is called Cook's Streight ; but being attacked 

 by the natives soon after he came to an anchor, in 

 the place to which he gave the name of Murderer's 

 Bay, he never went on shore. He gave the country 

 the name of Staaten Land, or the land of the 

 States, in honour of the States-General, and it is now 

 generally distinguished in our maps and charts by 

 the name of New Zealand. As the whole of this 

 country, except that part of the coast which was seen 

 by Tasman from on board his ship, has from his 

 time, to the voyage of the Endeavour, remained 

 altogether unknown, it has by many been supposed 

 to be part of a southern continent. It is, however, 

 now known to consist of two large islands, divided 

 from each other by a streight or passage, which is 

 about four or five leagues broad. 



These islands are situated between the latitudes of 

 34 and 48 S. and between the longitudes of 181 

 and 1J)4 W., which is now determined with uncom- 

 mon exactness, from innumerable observations of the 

 sun and moon, and one of the transits of Mercury, 

 by Mr. Green, a person of known abilities, who, as 

 has been mentioned before, was sent out by the 

 lloyal Society, to observe the transit of Venus in the 

 South Seas. 



