Story: French

Anchor from the St Jean Baptiste (1st of 2)

Anchor from the St Jean Baptiste

The first French arrival was the explorer Jean François de Surville, in 1769. From the Hokianga he sailed north, unaware that Lieutenant James Cook was simultaneously sailing past North Cape in the opposite direction. During a storm, the ship lost several anchors. More than 200 years later, in 1974, two were recovered by divers. One is now held in Te Ahu Museum in Kaitāia (shown here) and the other is in Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

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How to cite this page:

Tessa Copland, 'French - Explorers and missionaries', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/638/anchor-from-the-st-jean-baptiste (accessed 28 April 2024)

Story by Tessa Copland, published 8 Feb 2005, reviewed & revised 1 Feb 2016