Hocken. — Earliest Literature relating to N.Z. 621 



tion it would seem that the letter-books, journals, foliants, 

 charts, &c, of the old Dutch Company had been transferred 

 from the iron chests of Batavia to the more congenial shelves 

 of Van Keulen's establishment at Amsterdam, and that 

 many had been submitted to the critical study of the editor. 

 Amongst these was Tasman's journal, which Swart had 

 already originally contributed in parts to a nautical maga- 

 zine, but which he here presents in a collected form, and 

 well annotated. Appended is a copy of the original chart, 

 showing Tasman's track on both his voyages ; for, on his re- 

 turn to Batavia in 1643, he was again despatched in 1641 to 

 examine the north coast of New Holland, and to explore what 

 is known to-day as Torres Straits, which separate Australia 

 from New Guinea, but which then were not known to exist. 

 Tasman failed to sail through them — a feat which it was re- 

 served for Cook to perform. Even at the present day Dutch 

 is not a mellifluous tongue ; but what it was two hundred and 

 fifty years ago I leave those to discover who contend with the 

 crabbed and hard-favoured words of Tasman's journal. It 

 has not yet been put in English dress; but, with the assist- 

 ance of a valued coadjutor, I can promise that the Institute 

 shall soon have presented to it the first full English transla- 

 tion of Tasman's discoveries of Tasmania and New Zealand. 

 In taking leave of this eminent seaman, I would refer to the 

 quaint, pious way in which he begins and ends his journal, 

 which is something after the manner of a child saying grace 

 before and after meat : " May God Almighty be pleased to 

 give His blessing on this voyage. Amen." " May God be 

 praised and thanked for this prosperous voyage. Amen." 

 Tasman was born in Holland in 1602, and died at Batavia in 

 1659 at the comparatively early age of fifty- seven years. 



And now for the long space of one hundred and thirty 

 years nothing more was known of New Zealand than that 

 which Tasman's discovery had vouchsafed. Little by little 

 something w 7 as added to the chart of the South Seas, but 

 there in a remote corner remained unaltered and with 

 sphinxlike impenetrability the curious piece of coast-line 

 which Tasman's hand had traced. Speculation concerning 

 it was always keen, and it was pretty generally agreed that 

 it formed part of that vast Terra Incognita of the Southern 

 Hemisphere whose existence was considered necessary to 

 balance the great globe. To Cook, as we know, fell the 

 honour of solving the mystery, and how thoroughly he solved 

 it we also know. Our task, however, is not to describe his 

 labours, but to review the manner in which they have been re- 

 corded, as well as those of his companions, on the occasion of 

 the three celebrated voyages. That famous barque the " En- 

 deavour," of 350 tons, returned from her three years' voyage 



