20 Facts About Abel Tasman

Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company .

Abel Tasman was the first known European explorer to reach New Zealand and the islands of Fiji and Van Diemen's Land .

Abel Tasman was born around 1603 in Lutjegast, a small village in the province of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.

Abel Tasman had a narrow escape from death, when in an incautious landing several of his companions were killed by people of Seram.

Abel Tasman was second-in-command of a 1639 exploration expedition in the north Pacific under Matthijs Quast.

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Abel Tasman got the assistance of the governor Adriaan van der Stel.

Abel Tasman named his discovery Van Diemen's Land, after Antonio van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.

Abel Tasman then tried to work his two ships into Adventure Bay on the east coast of South Bruny Island, where he was blown out to sea by a storm.

Abel Tasman named Frederick Hendrik Bay, which included the present North Bay, Marion Bay and the inlet Blackman Bay .

Abel Tasman was on a mission to find the Southern Continent, not more islands, so he abruptly turned away to the east and continued his continent-hunting.

The expedition endured an extremely rough voyage and in one of his diary entries Abel Tasman credited his compass, claiming it was the only thing that had kept him alive.

Abel Tasman named it Staten Landt "in honour of the States General" .

Abel Tasman wrote, "it is possible that this land joins to the Staten Landt but it is uncertain", referring to Isla de los Estados, a landmass of the same name at the southern tip of South America, encountered by the Dutch navigator Jacob Le Maire in 1616.

Abel Tasman sent ship's boats to gather water, but one of his boats was attacked by a war party sent by Ngati Tumatakokiri in a double-hulled waka and four of his men were killed with mere .

Abel Tasman charted the eastern tip of Vanua Levu and Cikobia-i-Lau before making his way back into the open sea.

Abel Tasman followed the south coast of New Guinea eastwards in an attempt to find a passage to the eastern side of New Holland.

Abel Tasman mapped the north coast of Australia, making observations on New Holland and its people.

Abel Tasman was in good circumstances, being one of the larger landowners in the town.

Abel Tasman's property was divided between his wife and his daughter by his first marriage.

The authorship of the map has been debated: while the map is commonly attributed to Abel Tasman, it is thought to have been the result of a collaboration, probably involving Franchoijs Visscher and Isaack Gilsemans, who took part in both of Abel Tasman's voyages.