The Voyage of the Astrolabe
In January 1827, Dumont d'Urville sailed the *Astrolabe* into the Tasman Bay region, seeking a safe passage into Cook Strait from the west. His mission was scientific: to chart coastlines, study natural history, and document the indigenous peoples he encountered. He spent several weeks meticulously charting the intricate coastline of the northern Marlborough Sounds, an area largely bypassed by Cook. He named many features, including Tasman Bay and the large island guarding its eastern side, which he named D'Urville Island in honour of himself.
The Perilous French Pass
Local Māori told d'Urville of a narrow channel between D'Urville Island and the mainland that could provide a shortcut into Admiralty Bay and Cook Strait. Despite warnings of the pass's dangerous currents, known to Māori as Te Aumiti, he was determined to take it. On 28 January 1827, he directed the *Astrolabe* into the channel. The ship was immediately caught in the powerful, swirling tide, which reached speeds of 8 knots.
The *Astrolabe* was swept through the pass, striking rocks twice and losing its false keel. The crew struggled desperately to steer the vessel as it was spun around in whirlpools, narrowly avoiding being wrecked completely.
After a harrowing 15 minutes, the ship was through. D'Urville named the channel 'Passe des Français' (French Pass) in recognition of their ordeal. His successful navigation, though reckless, was a remarkable feat of seamanship that confirmed the passage's existence for European cartographers.
Legacy in New Zealand
Dumont d'Urville's expedition made a significant contribution to the European understanding of New Zealand. His charts of the Marlborough Sounds were a major advancement, and the scientific collections and ethnographic drawings made by his crew provided valuable information. He was a complex figure, known for his intelligence and bravery but also for his vanity and often pessimistic view of the people he encountered. He returned to New Zealand in 1840 during a later voyage to Antarctica but had little interaction with Marlborough on that occasion. Tragically, d'Urville, his wife, and his son were killed in France's first major railway disaster near Versailles in 1842. His name lives on prominently in Marlborough, attached to the island and the perilous pass his expedition conquered.
