First navigators from Papouasia

Crossings were long and dangerous, especially as the canoes were also used to carry animals and plants (taro, manioc, yam,
etc.). Other migrations followed and continued for quite some time before the people settled down. Nowadays, all the inhabited islands have their own languages and their own customs and traditions.

First European explorators

The very first time the island group was discovered by Europeans dates back to May 1606.
That European was Pedro Fernandez de Queiros, a Portuguese (a mystic intent on preaching the Gospel) who, thinking he had reached the austral continent, christened it "Terra Australia del Espirito Santo" hence the name of Espiritu Santo, which has remained ever since.
Relations with the natives were not particularly good and once Queiros left, the islands were soon forgotten.
It was not until 160 years later that Louis Antoine de Bougainville recognised the island and named it “The Great Cyclades” (Les Grandes Cyclades) at the same time as he christened Maewo, Pentecost, Malekula,
Malo and Ambae to which he laid claim.

James Cook and the New Hebrides

Then on July 16th, 1774, another famous navigator discovered the islands as well, on his second voyage through the Pacific: James Cook, on board his ship HMS “Resolution”.
We have him to thank for the very first map of the island group, and its name, the “New Hebrides”. However, he did not stay long, only 46 days.
After that there was a succession of navigators who came and went, such as La Perouse, d'Entrecasteaux, Bligh and Dumont d'Urville. A few whalers also called in. But the first settlement of Europeans really
dates back to 1825 when the Irishman Peter Dillon established sandalwood trade with China. In spite of the many clashes with the natives, this trade survived for nearly 40 years. As sources of sandalwood dwindled, many sandalwood traders turned to recruiting
labourers for the sugar cane fields of Fiji and Queensland, which became known as “Blackbirding”.
A few Australian planters settled in the islands of Efate and Epi for copra. Around the same time, other settlers came over, from New Caledonia, such as John Higginson whose dream was to see the New Hebrides annexed by France. Then came James Burns and Rober Philp who joined forces to acquire land in their names.