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Other Title: Collision : Cover subtitle: When cultures clash, misunderstandings can be fatal Summary: In 1772 a disastrous collision in the Southern Ocean saw French expedition leader Marc Joseph Marion du Fresne bring his tall ships into the Bay of Islands, northern New Zealand, seeking fresh water and new spars. Told by Andre Tallec, a young ensign, and his counterpart, Te Kape, favoured protegee of local chief Te Kuri, the events of the next two months unfold with a sense of impending doom. Blinded by the apparent goodwill of the Maori and his belief in French superiority, Marion misunderstands their interactions. Each day, the French unwittingly transgress further. With gathering frustration, the local chiefs find their mana increasingly compromised and their spiritual wellbeing threatened. Te Kuri and his fellow chiefs try every means to encourage the French to leave them in peace, until only one honourable course of action remains New Zealand author