The Dutch and the Maori First Encounter
The area for sometime was called Murderers Bay or Massacre Bay
In 1642, The Dutch Exhibition commanded by explorer Abel Tasman made European history, reaching the southern tip of the Polynesian Triangle, an accomplishment only achieved before by Polynesian Navigators and was a grand feat in western Nautical History. Unfortunately for the Dutch, the need for resupply led them directly into a Maori Polynesian Warzone, unknown really when the War started, but the War was happening along the Aotearoa shores where the Dutch were aiming to anchor. When the Dutch arrived, they did so stop upon "The Maoriland" (location around Te Onetahua) in the area of Mohua. The Dutch ships being spotted quickly by scouts of Ngati Tumata Kokiri were then signaled upon and Maori alarm horns sounded that unknowns were in the region. The Dutch ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen kept on the move until eventually they anchored off Wainui, sitting off the coast in beautiful but unsafe waters. Maori Ngati Tumata Kokiri scout vessels were launched to investigate the foreign ships, continuously sounding off with large shell horns. Dutch crews who heard a growing number of Maori horns which sounded to them like Moorish trumpets, turned and readied themselves for hostiles.
It was recorded that the horn sounding came from the shores and two separate Maori scout vessels began to circle the Dutch ships, but never moved too close. The Dutch crew from the Heemskerck then ordered to make a reply with "Dutch trumpets", attempting to announce themselves fully with no intentions of deceit, hoping to say that they wanted a first contact. The Maori shell horns and the Dutch trumpets were said to have been blown on-and-off through the night's ending, which is today seen as the major mistake where misunderstandings came about between the Maori Iwi and the Dutch visitors.
The next day on the 19th of December the Dutch were in desperate need of resupply, mostly water, and still didn't know if early horns were hostile since there was no further communications. After an officers meeting on board the main ship Heemskerck with some members from the Zeehaen, the decision was made to attempt a person-to-person trade for resupply. Unfortunately the meeting itself was made too late, with a decision to trade also too late. A whole night had gone by with horn playing and Maori on shore had already given orders to attack an "unknown intruder".
The next day on the 19th of December the Dutch were in desperate need of resupply, mostly water, and still didn't know if early horns were hostile since there was no further communications. After an officers meeting on board the main ship Heemskerck with some members from the Zeehaen, the decision was made to attempt a person-to-person trade for resupply. Unfortunately the meeting itself was made too late, with a decision to trade also too late. A whole night had gone by with horn playing and Maori on shore had already given orders to attack an "unknown intruder".
"The horn playing has been debated to be interpreted to the Maori scouts, as a Maori War Taunt, since the sounding wasn't a known communication, and making noises with just horns seemed to the Maori like a pre-battle cry"
Maori Iwi in control of the Bay were already in a clan War with another Iwi and responded as a people at War do, who then sent seven (7) Waka fully loaded vessels (usually with 25 Warriors each), toward the Dutch ships. One Maori vessel slid directly in the back of the Zeehaen with the rest surrounding the flagship Heemskerck. The Dutch reports then say a single Maori man attacked Dutch crew members. The Dutch had sent a cock-boat ahead from the Heemskerk and there happened the first attack. The Maori warrior attacked all the men standing close to him, striking all he could to display his leadership, a move to gain Mana from the first attack. A member of the Tasman crews Cornelis Joppen was then struck in the neck several times and hard enough in the last stroke that he fell overboard dead. The finishing move of the Maori man gave the other Maori Toa their signal to attack in full. The Dutch cock-boat was left adrift with the crew down, some swimming back toward the main Dutch ships.
Maori Iwi in control of the Bay were already in a clan War with another Iwi and responded as a people at War do, who then sent seven (7) Waka fully loaded vessels (usually with 25 Warriors each), toward the Dutch ships. One Maori vessel slid directly in the back of the Zeehaen with the rest surrounding the flagship Heemskerck. The Dutch reports then say a single Maori man attacked Dutch crew members. The Dutch had sent a cock-boat ahead from the Heemskerk and there happened the first attack. The Maori warrior attacked all the men standing close to him, striking all he could to display his leadership, a move to gain Mana from the first attack. A member of the Tasman crews Cornelis Joppen was then struck in the neck several times and hard enough in the last stroke that he fell overboard dead. The finishing move of the Maori man gave the other Maori Toa their signal to attack in full. The Dutch cock-boat was left adrift with the crew down, some swimming back toward the main Dutch ships.
Abel Tasman's accounts from Journal
"Just as the cock boat [smaller sail vessel] from the Zeehaen put off again, those who were lying in front of us, between the two ships, began to paddle towards it so furiously that when they were about halfway, slightly more on the side of our ship, they struck the Zeehaen's cock boat alongside with their stem, so that it lurched tremendously.
Thereupon the foremost one [the closet one] in the villains' boat [Maori vessel], with a long blunt pike [possible Taiaha weapon], thrust the quartermaster Cornelis Joppen in the neck several times, so violently that he could not but fall overboard. Upon this the others attacked with short, thick, wooden clubs (which we at first thought to be heavy blunt parangs1) and their paddles, overwhelming the cock boat, in which fray three of the Zeehaen's men were left dead and a fourth, owing to the heavy blows, was mortally wounded. The quartermaster and two sailors swam towards our ship and we sent our shallop to meet them, into which they got alive. After this monstrous happening and detestable affair the murderers let the cock boat drift, having taken one of the dead in their canoe and drowned another.' So died Jan Tyssen, far from his native Oue-ven; Tobias Pietersz, of Delft; Jan Isbrantsz; and the fourth man nameless, like other common sailors dead on great voyages.
Muskets and guns were fired from the ships, but to no purpose, the canoes fleeing out of range to the shore; and, all hope abandoned of establishing friendly relations or getting refreshment, the Dutch weighed anchor and set sail. Near the shore were seen twenty-two [22] canoes [22 more ready Maori vessels], of which half, packed with men, were making for the ships: when some were in range a few shots were fired, hitting only one man and rattling about the canoes, which hastened back to shore with paddle and sail."
Dutch assumed New Zealand was South America
The Dutch are given credit in discovering New Zealand for Europeans, but who were lost thinking the land was connected to South America. Many historians, both European and Pacific Islanders, say it was an unfortunate lay of events that fate played apart of and that the Dutch had come in peace but had docked in the wrong place. If they had met another Maori Iwi a more favorable out-come may have happened. According to the journals, the land was the second land reached and discovered by us', wrote Tasman.
"To this land we have given the name of Staten Landt, in honour of Their High Mightiness the States-General, since it could be quite possible that this land was connected with Staten Landt [South America], although this is not certain. This land looks like being a very beautiful land and we trust that this is the mainland coast of the unknown south land. To this course we have given the name of Abel Tasman Passagie since he is the first to have navigated it."
It is noted that Dutch were attempting to find "The Strait of Magellan" charted by Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães), a Portuguese explorer and navigator in the service of Charles I of Spain and hoping to claim and rename it "The Abel Tasman Passage". Spain and Catholics were in 1642, enemies of the Christian Dutch and English.
References:
J. C. Beaglehole "The Discovery of New Zealand" Wellington, Oxford University Press, 1961
wikimap.org "Onetahua (Farewell Spit" Retrieved February 28th, 2012
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Thereupon the foremost one [the closet one] in the villains' boat [Maori vessel], with a long blunt pike [possible Taiaha weapon], thrust the quartermaster Cornelis Joppen in the neck several times, so violently that he could not but fall overboard. Upon this the others attacked with short, thick, wooden clubs (which we at first thought to be heavy blunt parangs1) and their paddles, overwhelming the cock boat, in which fray three of the Zeehaen's men were left dead and a fourth, owing to the heavy blows, was mortally wounded. The quartermaster and two sailors swam towards our ship and we sent our shallop to meet them, into which they got alive. After this monstrous happening and detestable affair the murderers let the cock boat drift, having taken one of the dead in their canoe and drowned another.' So died Jan Tyssen, far from his native Oue-ven; Tobias Pietersz, of Delft; Jan Isbrantsz; and the fourth man nameless, like other common sailors dead on great voyages.
Muskets and guns were fired from the ships, but to no purpose, the canoes fleeing out of range to the shore; and, all hope abandoned of establishing friendly relations or getting refreshment, the Dutch weighed anchor and set sail. Near the shore were seen twenty-two [22] canoes [22 more ready Maori vessels], of which half, packed with men, were making for the ships: when some were in range a few shots were fired, hitting only one man and rattling about the canoes, which hastened back to shore with paddle and sail."
Dutch assumed New Zealand was South America
The Dutch are given credit in discovering New Zealand for Europeans, but who were lost thinking the land was connected to South America. Many historians, both European and Pacific Islanders, say it was an unfortunate lay of events that fate played apart of and that the Dutch had come in peace but had docked in the wrong place. If they had met another Maori Iwi a more favorable out-come may have happened. According to the journals, the land was the second land reached and discovered by us', wrote Tasman.
"To this land we have given the name of Staten Landt, in honour of Their High Mightiness the States-General, since it could be quite possible that this land was connected with Staten Landt [South America], although this is not certain. This land looks like being a very beautiful land and we trust that this is the mainland coast of the unknown south land. To this course we have given the name of Abel Tasman Passagie since he is the first to have navigated it."
It is noted that Dutch were attempting to find "The Strait of Magellan" charted by Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães), a Portuguese explorer and navigator in the service of Charles I of Spain and hoping to claim and rename it "The Abel Tasman Passage". Spain and Catholics were in 1642, enemies of the Christian Dutch and English.
References:
J. C. Beaglehole "The Discovery of New Zealand" Wellington, Oxford University Press, 1961
wikimap.org "Onetahua (Farewell Spit" Retrieved February 28th, 2012
Print Page - Home - Events - Local Weather - Hot Topics - Fun Facts
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