This is one of a set of four prints in Cleveley's well-known series from Captain James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific. It shows the death of Cook in the skirmish at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on 14 February 1779, that was provoked by his attempt to retrieve a boat stolen by local people for its iron fittings. His ships 'Resolution' and 'Discovery' lie offshore, firing guns. 'Resolution' (right) is shown without her foremast, which had been taken ashore for repair following damage to it that had been the cause of Cook turning back to Hawaii after making what had been intended as his final departure. According both to the captions on the prints and to the publisher's advertisement, original drawings were made during the voyage by James Cleveley, carpenter in the 'Resolution', and then turned into finished images by his brother John after James's return. Sets of titled engravings were produced by Francis Jukes and published by Thomas Martyn. Some doubts have been cast on whether these are based on original sketches by James, as they contain details not accurate to the Pacific at the time, but rather taken from the wider European iconography of the Pacific (see Rüdiger Joppien and Bernard Smith, 'The Cleveley problem', vol. III, pp. 216-221 in 'The Art of Cook's Voyages' (3 vols., Yale UP 1988]).

The other three prints show 'View of Huaheine, one of the Society Islands', 'View of Charlotte Sound in New Zealand' (actually a view in Matavai Bay, Tahiti)', 'View of Morea [Moorea/ Eimeo], one of the Friendly Islands': for these see PAI0470-73. Three oil paintings of these views -excuding the present Hawaii example - are also in the NMM collections (BHC1838, BHC1896 and BHC1939) but are probably derived from the prints rather than being Cleveley's originals for them. For other copies of this example see PAH2726 and PAJ2943