A Opossum of Van Diemen's Land

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.

This engraving is after a drawing by John Webber from John Hawkesworth's account (1773) of the voyages of Captain James Cook, Joseph Banks and Captain John Byron.

Cook travelled to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) between January 24-30, 1777.


Loosely bound in album with PAI3893-PAI3895, PAI3897-PAI3936.; Plate No.8.

Object Details

ID: PAI3896
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Mazell, Peter; Webber, John
Date made: 1777
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Plate: 212 x 266 mm; Sheet: 390 x 535 mm
Parts: Illustrations of Cooks Voyages (Album)