A Toupapow with a Corpse on it, Attended by the Chief Mourner in his Habit of Ceremony

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A Toupapow with a Corpse on it, Attended by the Chief Mourner in his Habit of Ceremony

This engraving, after a drawing by artist William Hodges, is in John Hawkesworth's account (1773) of the voyages of Captain James Cook, Joseph Banks and Captain John Byron. A tupapow was a house or shed under which the dead were deposited in Otaheite.

Otaheite (Tahiti) was originally named Port Royal Harbour in King George the Third's Island by Captain Samuel Wallis (1728-1795).

The frigate Dolphin was under the command of Captain John Byron 1723-1786) and then Captain Samuel Wallis (1728-1795) and Captain Cook's first Endeavor voyage. Byron was chosen to command an expedition to circumnavigate the globe and search for a north-west passage. Byron's mention of signs of a southern continent encouraged the immediate preparation of another expedition to the Pacific. Wallis took command of the Dolphin (back from Byron's circumnavigation) and had as his objective to search for the great continent 'Terra Australis Incognita.'

Captain James Cook (1728-1779) made three separate voyages to the Pacific (with the ships Endeavour, Resolution, Adventure, and Discovery) and did more than any other voyager to explore the Pacific and Southern Ocean. Cook not only encountered Pacific cultures for the first time, but also assembled the first large-scale collections of Pacific objects to be brought back to Europe. He was killed in Hawaii in 1779.

Mounted in album with PAI2055-PAI2072, PAI2074-PAI2127.; No.17.; No.44.

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Object Details

ID:	PAI2073
Type:	Print
Display location:	Not on display
Creator:	Cadell, Thomas; Strahan, William Woollett, William
Date made:	1 Feb 1777
Credit:	National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements:	Sheet: 240 x 390 mm; page: 460 mm x 590 mm
Parts:	Volume of Plates to Cook's Voyages. Voyage II (Album) Captain James Cook, FRS (Print) (PAI2055) A Chart of the Southern Hemisphere; shewing the Tracks of some of the most distinguished Navigators: By Captain James Cook, of his Majesty's Navy (Print) (PAI2056) Port Praya in the Island of St Jago, one of the Cape de Verds (Print) (PAI2057) The Ice Islands, seen...(unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2058) The Ice Islands, seen... (titled unfinished) (Print) (PAI2059) New Zealand Spruce Fir (Print) (PAI2060) Family in Dusky Bay, New Zealand (Print) (PAI2061) Sketch of Dusky Bay in New Zealand, 1773 (Print) (PAI2062) Botanical drawing of plants (Print) (PAI2063) Poe Bird, New Zealand (Print) (PAI2064) Botanical drawing of plant (Print) (PAI2065) Sketch of Van Dieman Land, Explored by Captn Furneaux in March 1773 (Print) (PAI2066) Otoo, King of O-Taheite (Print) (PAI2067) Botanical drawing of a plant (Print) (PAI2068) Potatow (native with beard, wearing turban scarf on his head) (Print) (PAI2069) Omai (Print) (PAI2070) Full length portrait of a Polynesian man, possibly Omai? (Print) (PAI2071) The Island of Otaheite (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2072) A Toupapow with a Corpse on it, Attended by the Chief Mourner in his Habit of Ceremony (Print) (PAI2073) Chart of the Friendly Islands (Print) (PAI2074) The Landing at Middleburgh one of the Friendly Isles (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2075) Otago (native from the Pacific) (Print) (PAI2076) Afia-too-ca, a Burying Place in the Isle of Amsterdam (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2077) Afia-too-ca, a Burying Place in the Isle of Amsterdam (before title) (Print) (PAI2078) A Draught Plan & Section of an Amsterdam Canoe, seen in the South Seas (Print) (PAI2079) Various articles belonging to South Pacific natives, including spears and bow and arrow (Print) (PAI2080) Various articles belonging to South Pacific natives, including weapons with fancy carving (Print) (PAI2081) Easter Island (Print) (PAI2082) Man of Easter Island (before title) (Print) (PAI2083) Woman of Easter Island (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2084) Woman of Easter Island (Print) (PAI2085) Monuments in Easter Island (before title) (Print) (PAI2086) Sketch of the Marquesas de Mendoca (Print) (PAI2087) Resolution Bay in the Marquesas (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2088) Resolution Bay in the Marquesas (before title) (Print) (PAI2089) Woman of Sta Christina (before title) (Print) (PAI2090) The Chief of Sta Christina (before title) (Print) (PAI2091) Native head-dress, necklace and other items (Print) (PAI2092) Specimen of Otaheitian Cloth with an Impression from a Copper plate (Print) (PAI2093) The Fleet of Otaheite assembled at Oparee (before title) (Print) (PAI2094) A Draught, Plan and Section of the Britannia Otahite War Canoe... (Print) (PAI2095) Tynai-Mai (female native from the Pacific) (Print) (PAI2096) Tynai-Mai (female native from the Pacific) (Print) (PAI2097) O-Hedidee (female native from the Pacific) (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2098) O-Hedidee (female native from the Pacific) (Print) (PAI2099) Four images of Islands in Polynesia, 1. Harvey's Isle 2. Palmerston Isle 3. Turtle Isle 4. Savage Isle (Print) (PAI2100) A View of the Islands of Rotterdam (before title) (Print) (PAI2101) Boats of the Friendly Isles (before title) (Print) (PAI2102) Chart of Discoveries made in the South Pacific Ocean in His Majesty's Ship Resolution Under the Command of Captain Cook, 1774 (Print) (PAI2103) The Landing at Mallicolo, one of the New Hebrides (before title) (Print) (PAI2104) Man of the Island of Mallicolo (Print) (PAI2105) Three sketches of the Island of Mallicolo, Harbour of Balade in New Caledonia, Isle of Tanna (Print) (PAI2106) The Landing at Erramanga one of the New Hebrides (before title) (Print) (PAI2107) The Landing at Tanna one of the New Hebrides (before title) (Print) (PAI2108) View in the Island of Tanna (before title) (Print) (PAI2109) Man of the Island of Tanna (before title) (Print) (PAI2110) Woman of the Island of Tanna (with a child) (Print) (PAI2111) Various articles belonging to natives, including a bow and spears (Print) (PAI2112) View in the Island of New Caledonia (before title) (Print) (PAI2113) Man of New Caledonia (Print) (PAI2114) Woman of New Caledonia (before title) (Print) (PAI2115) Various articles belonging to natives of the Pacific, including a hat and variety of tools or weapons (Print) (PAI2116) View in the Island of Pines (unfinished state) (Print) (PAI2117) View in the Island of Pines (before title) (Print) (PAI2118) Sketch of Norfolk Isle (Pacific Ocean) (Print) (PAI2119) Man of New Zealand (Drawing) (PAI2120) Woman of New Zealand (Print) (PAI2121) Christmas Sound on the S.W. Coast of Terra del Fuego (Print) (PAI2122) Man in Christmas Sound, Tierra del Fuego (Print) (PAI2123) Christmas Sound, Tierra del Fuego (Print) (PAI2124) A Chart of the Southern Extremity of America, 1775 (Print) (PAI2125) Chart of the Discoveries made in the South Atlantic Ocean in His Majesty's Ship Resolution under the Command of Captain Cook, in Jany 1775 (Print) (PAI2126) Possession Bay in the Island of South Georgia (Print) (PAI2127)