Native weapons with fancy carving and one made from a shell

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. The weapons depicted are likely Tongan. Cook landed Tongatapu – the main island of Tonga on 4 October 1773 – and stayed for three days. He later visited against from 26–29 June 1774.

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.

William Hodges (1744-1797) joined Cook's second expedition to the South Pacific as a draughtsman 1772-75 and was employed by the Admiralty in finishing his drawings.

Mounted on page with PAI4046, and in album with PAI3938-PAI4046, PAI4048-PAI4076.; Page 96.; Plate No. XIX.

Object Details

ID: PAI4047
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Cadell, Thomas; Strahan, William Record, James
Date made: 1 Feb 1777
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 230 x 157 mm; Plate: 219 x 175 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)