Publishing "First Contacts" - Early accounts of Tasman’s 1642 voyage

First contacts: The early Pacific and European accounts of Abel Tasman’s 1642 voyage by Rudiger Mack

What is the book about?

This book offers a new and different view of Abel Tasman’s 1642-43 voyage to Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Tonga group. By translating and cross referencing previously undervalued textual and visual sources, new interpretations of certain events during the voyage emerge, including the first encounters between Europeans and indigenous people.

The book delves into several Māori and Tongan oral traditions of their first encounters with Tasman. A detailed study reveals significant detail that can now be more widely appreciated. A similar approach to the Tongan sources enables us to identify the place where Tasman landed in Tongatapu and the high-ranking chief who invited Tasman to his compound.

In terms of European accounts of Tasman’s voyage, my book draws on previously untranslated sources in the Dutch, French, German and Italian languages. The least known and most underrated Dutch source on Tasman’s voyage is a chapter from a book by Nicolaes Witsen published in 1705. My book includes Witsen’s original Dutch text and the first complete English translation presenting details of Tasman’s voyages not known from other sources. Most intriguingly, Witsen has given us five illustrations that vary significantly from the other known illustrations found in Tasman’s official journal. One of these illustrations indicates that the Dutch probably came much closer to a landing in Golden Bay than previously thought. The same illustration shows an ancient tauranga waka, or canoe landing site in Wainui Bay that was probably in use in 1642 and is still visible today. Other illustrations of Tongatapu and the Tongan island of Nomuka also show considerably more detail than given in Tasman's official journal. The identity of the artist who copied the illustrations from Tasman’s voyage into the official journal in 1643 has always been a mystery. The book explores this question and comes to an interesting conclusion.

My study also reveals that in the years following Tasman’s return to Europe there was strong interest in his discoveries in France. The book discusses several attempts to mount expeditions from the Dutch and the French side before Captain Cook’s voyages.

The book finishes with an examination of the three existing portraits which are assumed to depict Abel Tasman. It outlines the enormous interest particularly from Australians to find a Tasman portrait and the efforts by certain art dealers to satisfy this demand. It demolishes the provenance of two of these paintings and leaves only one portrait which may show us what Tasman looked like.

I have always been interested in Pacific history. My interested in Tasman's visit to Golden Bay was sparked by a trip to Taupo Point many years ago. It was from the Taupo Point pa that fearless Maori warriors set out to challenge Tasman's expedition in December 1642.

I learnt French, English and Latin at school and later I studied and acquired some knowledge of Dutch, Spanish, Italian and in the last few years te reo Maori. I have an MA in history and this has given me the research and writing skills to bring together historic sources in these languages which have often been ignored. I have spent many enjoyable hours in the last 20 years researching and writing this book. It is written to an academic standard but will be an entertaining read for the general public.

One goal that is important to me personally is to make a contribution to a deeper understanding of our shared Māori and Pakeha history. I have previously published six articles on the early contact period in Aotearoa, particularly on Tasman’s visit in 1642, but now I have so much new and exciting material that it should be published as a book.

Publication cost

The manuscript has been completed and is with a publisher, The Heritage Press. The publication costs for a hardcover book of 430 pages and 75 illustrations are $18,000. I have been offered a contract with the publisher which I will sign as soon as the bulk of the funding is secured. I am in talks with 2 organisations which hopefully will contribute financially to the remaining $6-8,000. I will have a little income from royalties and my own book sales. The hope is to break even.