HocKEN. — Abel Tasmaii and ]iis Journal. 127 



the long spit of sand running from it, upon wliich is a 

 lighthouse. Next in order is that bay of tragic interest 

 called by Tasman "Murderers','' but now known as Golden 

 Bay, in W'hich is the Township of CoUingwood. The scene 

 of tragedy lies close to Parapara, where at this moment a 

 new and far different interest has arisen in the fact that 

 a great and peaceful trade is expected to spring up in 

 connection with the masses of hifimatite wdiich lie around 

 the shore. Thankfully escaping from this dreadful spot, Tas- 

 man tacked about in w^hat he called " Zeehaen's Bay," but 

 which in truth w'as the north-w-est portion of Cook Strait. 

 As we shall presently see, Tasman himself suspected that 

 there was a passage through. Proceeding north, Cape Egmont 

 was seen, and was named Cabo Pieter Boreels, after one of 

 the Dutch East Indian Council. No reference is made to the 

 mountain. The high mountain seen on the 27th in lat. 38°, 

 and taken at first for an island, would probably be Mount 

 Karioi, bounded as it is to the north by Whaingaroa Harbour, 

 and south by Kawdiia and Aotea Harbours. The Three Evings 

 Islands were Tasman's point of departure from New Zealand. 

 This name was given from the fact that the vessels anchored 

 there on the 5th January, the eve of the Epiphany. You may 

 remember the incidents connected with this religious festival 

 which commemorated the meeting of the three Magi or Wise 

 Men of the East wuth the infant Christ. Their names w^ei'e 

 Kaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. The fable says that their 

 bones were removed to the cathedral at Cologne, where they 

 still rest, and where, as in Tasman's time, they are still vene- 

 rated by all faithful observers of old Christian legends. I may 

 here remark that in all probability the interesting process of 

 name-giving did not take place until after Tasman's return 

 to Batavia. The best description of the Three Kings known 

 to me is that given by Mr. Cheeseman, the curator of the 

 Auckland Museum, in the volumes for 1887 and 1890 of 

 the New Zealand Transactions. Mr. Cheeseman made many 

 additions to our natural-history knowledge of these islands, 

 and he also recognised that part of the Great King upon 

 which Tasman's crew attempted to land when searching for 

 water and vegetables. It is much to be regretted that Swart 

 does not reproduce Tasman's sketches. In a provoking way 

 he says that these are to be found in "Valentiju." Valen- 

 tijn's abridged copy of the Journal was published in 1726, and 

 to this rare work the reader is referred. It is to be hoped that 

 this omission will be rectified in Miiller's forthcoming edition. 

 Tasman's intercourse w-ith the natives was but of a few hours' 

 duration ; yet it was sufficiently long to enable him to give a 

 good personal description. It is, therefore, curious to find 

 that he makes no reference to the adornment of the tattoo. 



