The first is owing to the want of rightly knowing how to pronounce the names of the Islands after them; but be this as it may, it is very certain that there are these number of Islands, and very Probably a great many more, laying some where in the Great South Sea, the greatest part of which have never been seen by any European.
[Historical Notes on New Zealand.] NOTES ON NEW ZEALAND.
As already stated by Cook in the Journal, New Zealand was first discovered by Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator, in the year 1642.

Sailing from Tasmania, he sighted the northern part of the Middle island, and anchored a little east of Cape Farewell in Massacre (Golden) Bay, so called by him because the Maoris cut off one of his boats, and killed three of the crew.
Tasman never landed anywhere, but coasted from Massacre Bay along the western side of the North Island to the north point.

He passed outside the Three Kings, and thence away into the Pacific, to discover the Friendly Group.
No European eye again sighted New Zealand until Cook circumnavigated and mapped the islands.
The warlike character of the natives is well shown in this Journal.

On nearly every occasion they either made, or attempted to make, an attack, even on the ships, and in self-defence firearms had constantly to be used.

Nevertheless, Cook's judgment enabled him to inaugurate friendly relations in most places where he stopped long enough to enable the natives to become acquainted with the strangers.
It was not so with other voyagers.