A view in the Island of Ulietea, with a double canoe and a boat-house (first state)

Ulietea (Raiatea) was the centre from which the Society Islands and Tahiti were populated, and the homeland to which the Maori people trace back their historic origin. Field drawing by Sydney Parkinson in August 1769. Parkinson (a Scottish landscape artist on Captain James Cook's first Endeavor voyage from 1768-1771) made studies of plants and animal species that were then engraved to be included in John Hawkesworth's Voyages (an account of the journeys by Captain Cook, Vice Admiral John Byron, and Joseph Banks published on behalf of the Admirality in 1773).

Cook refers to the Raiateqans as "very ingenious in building their Proes or Canoes and seem to take as much Care of them having large Sheds or houses to put them in built for the Purpose."

Boat houses were termed "Ewharraow" by the local population. The man on the left is likely carrying breadfruit, a starchy fruit that has a potato-like flavour when cooked (similar to bread) and is high in carbohydrates and protein. Breadfruit was seen as a highly productive food and was later transported to the Caribbean as a cheap, high-energy food source for enslaved Africans.

Mounted in album with PAI3938-PAI3970, PAI3972-PAI4076.; Page 30. This is the first of three such engravings.

Object Details

ID: PAI3971
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Parkinson, Sydney
Date made: 1770s
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 272 x 512 mm; Plate: 241 x 502 mm
Parts: Atlas to Cook's Voyages Vol I 1773-1777. (Illustrations are from Hawkesworth's 'Voyages to the Southern Hemisphere', all volumes, and Cook [ed. Douglas] 'A Voyage towards the South Pole... ' [1773-75], page 70 onwards) (Album)
Close

Your Request

If an item is shown as “offsite”, please allow eight days for your order to be processed. For further information, please contact Archive staff:

Email:
Tel: (during Library opening hours)

Click “Continue” below to continue processing your order with the Library team.

Continue