Tahiti of ocean, was made possible by using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty meters long and could transport families as well as domestic animals. In 1769, for instance, James Cook mentions a great traditional ship ("va'a") in Tahiti that was long, and could be propelled by sail or paddles. In 2010, an expedition on a simple outrigger canoe with a sail retraced the route back from Tahiti to Asia. Before the arrival of the Europeans the island was divided into different chiefdoms, very precise territories dominated by a single clan. These chiefdoms were linked to each other
John Blaxland (explorer) John Blaxland (explorer) John Blaxland (4 January 1769 – 5 August 1845) was a pioneer settler and explorer in Australia. Blaxland was born in Kent, the eldest son of gentleman farmer John Blaxland and Mary, "née" Parker, of Fordwich, Kent, England. He was the older brother of early Australian explorer Gregory Blaxland. His father died when he was eleven and the family moved to Canterbury where he and his brother were educated at The King's School. In 1887 he joined the army and rose to become a captain. He resigned his commission in 1792 and returned to manage the family