On December 5th, Tasman left Van Diemen's Land to its original solitude, and 130 years elapsed before it was again visited by a white man. Of course, Tasman believed that the land he had discovered was part of the great South Continent, and this idea prevailed until Bass and Flinders long afterwards proved Van Diemen's Land to be an island.
It was resolved to steer an east course, and for six days they had strong south-west winds. On the eighth day out, 13th December, they sighted land with high mountains, veiled in clouds. This was New Zealand.
Tasman says: "This is the second land we have discovered. We have given it the name of Staaten Land, in honour of their High Mightinesses the States-General, and also because it may be that this land is joined to Staten Land (near Cape Horn); but this uncertain."
The high land sighted by Tasman was the west coast of the South Island, just south of Cook's Straits. Steering to the north-east, he anchored in what is now known as Golden Bay. Here their boats' crews were attacked by the natives, who were as fierce and intractable then as Cook found them long afterwards. Tasman describes them of good stature, strong boned, and of a rough voice. Their colour is between brown and yellow; their hair black, which they tie up on the crown of their heads like the Japanese, and with a large white feather stuck upright in it.
Their vessels were, two narrow long canoes fastened together, upon which boards were fixed to sit on. Their paddles were more than a fathom long, and were pointed at the ends.
This is all that Tasman can tell of them, as he never got an opportunity to land. They attacked his boats without any provocation on his part as far as is known, and killed four of his men. Their canoes came out immediately afterwards in considerable numbers, and he fired on them in self-defence.
As there could be no friendly intercourse after this, he brought his ships to another anchorage, now called Tasman’s Bay, near where the town of Nelson stands. Here they rode out a severe north-west gale.
Tasman narrowly escaped discovering the straits which divides the North and South Islands. This honour was reserved for Cook. He now proceeded northwards, following the trend of the west side of the North Island. Making a last effort to obtain fresh water, they anchored on the North side of the Three Kings Islands. They sent their boats away, with them the empty water barrels, but the sea ran so high and the attitude of the natives on shore was so threatening, that the boats returned to the ship.
