Tasman's visit to Fiji. 17th century artwork showing the visit of the Dutch navigator and explorer Abel Tasman (1603-1659) to the Fiji Islands in 1643. Financed by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), this was the first time Europeans had visited these islands. The Dutch sailing ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen are at centre right, with Fijians swimming and paddling to meet them. In the foreground are details of Fijian boat designs. At lower right, three people are paddling an outrigger canoe, while at lower left is a larger, ocean-going catamaran sailing vessel. This sketch by Tasman is from a book published in the Netherlands in the 1670s.