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Te Aumiti / French Pass is a narrow and treacherous stretch of water that separates D'Urville Island, at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand, from the mainland coast. At one end is Tasman Bay, and at the other end the outer Pelorus Sound leads out to Cook Strait. French Pass has the fastest tidal flows in New Zealand, reaching 8 knots (4 m/s).〔Stevens et al. (2008)〕 When the tide changes, the current can be strong enough to stun fish.〔Craig Stevens and Stephen Chiswell. ( ''Ocean currents and tides: Tides'' ) Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21 September 2007. 〕 The local tribes are Ngāti Koata and Ngāti Kuia. ==History== In the oral tradition of some Māori tribes, French Pass is the resting place of Kupe's pet king shag, called Te Kawau-a-Toru. Kupe was a pioneer Polynesian navigator who discovered Cook Strait in his canoe. While he was exploring Cook Strait, Kupe was attacked by a giant octopus. In the furious battle to kill the octopus, the coast was gouged into the convoluted shapes that today make up the Sounds. Kupe's loyal shag then led Kupe to the French Pass passage, and explored the area on Kupe's behalf. Te Kawau-a-Toru had a huge wingspan, and was reputed to be a sacred bird with "the eye of the ancestor", insight into ancient knowledge.〔(King shag ) New Zealand Birds. Retrieved 2 March 2009.〕 However, while testing the channel to see if it was safe for Kupe's canoe, Te Kawau-a-Toru got caught in the tidal rip, broke a wing and drowned. The broken reef adjacent to the channel is Kupe's loyal bird turned to stone – Te Aumiti a te Kawau-a-Toru (the currents that swallowed Toru's shag). A nearby rocky point where a lighthouse now stands is the bird's petrified bones.〔Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal. (''First peoples in Māori tradition: Te Aumiti (French Pass)'' ) Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 28 October 2008. 〕 The first recorded European navigation of the pass occurred in 1827. Admiral Jules Dumont d'Urville navigated the pass during his second voyage to New Zealand, in the French Navy corvette ''Astrolabe''. Approaching the narrowest part of the pass, the vessel swung sideward and did not respond to steerage. The corvette struck rocks twice, and was then washed over the reef and into Admiralty Bay. The high energy and complexity of the location was summed up by d'Urville suggesting that no one should attempt to navigate French Pass except in extreme emergency.〔Baldwin 1979, p. 164〕 In 1888, a Risso's dolphin appeared in the area. For the next 24 years, this dolphin accompanied boats to and from French Pass. He became famous as Pelorus Jack and was the first dolphin in the world to receive the protection of the law. Pelorus Jack stayed in the Pelorus Sounds, and did not navigate the pass into Tasman Bay. He would meet boats as they came out of the pass, riding their bow waves for to Pelorus Sound. Then he would join boats returning to Nelson at the entrance to Pelorus Sound and escort them back to the pass. Pelorus Jack was last seen in April 1912. The lightkeeper at French Pass claimed he found the body of Pelorus Jack decomposing on the shore.〔Gerard Hutching. (''Dolphins: The story of Pelorus Jack'' ) Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 22 October 2008〕 In August 2014, the name of French Pass was officially altered to Te Aumiti / French Pass. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「French Pass」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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