It took scientists 375 years to discover the world's eighth continent, which had been hiding in plain sight all along. Yet, mysteries about this landmass still remain.
The year was 1642, and Abel Tasman had a mission. The experienced Dutch navigator, with his striking moustache, bushy goatee, and penchant for harsh justice—he once attempted to hang members of his own crew while drunk—was convinced of the existence of a massive continent in the southern hemisphere and was determined to find it.
At the time, this part of the globe remained largely a mystery to Europeans, yet they were firmly convinced that a large landmass must exist there, previously named Terra Australis, to balance out Europe in the north. This belief dated back to the days of Ancient Rome, but only now could it be put to the test.
On 14 August, A. Tasman set sail from his base in Jakarta, Indonesia, with two small ships, heading west, then south, then east, eventually arriving at the South Island of New Zealand. The first encounter with the local Maori (who had presumably settled there centuries earlier) was unsuccessful: on the second day, several of them paddled out in canoes and rammed a small boat that was ferrying messages between the Dutch ships. Four Europeans died. Later, the Europeans fired cannons at another 11 canoes—what happened to them is unknown.
That was the end of the mission—Tasman, with a touch of irony, named the fateful site Moordenaers (Murderers') Bay and sailed home several weeks later, never having set foot on the land. Although he believed he had indeed discovered the great southern continent, it was clearly not the commercial utopia he had envisioned. He did not return. (By this time, Australia was already known, but Europeans did not believe it was the legendary continent they were seeking. Later, when they changed their minds, it was named Terra Australis).
Tasman did not know that he had been right all along. The continent had been lost.