A Sea Otter

This engraving after a drawing by John Webber comes from the official account of Cook's third voyage, 'A voyage to the Pacific Ocean', published by Scatcherd and Whitaker in 1784.

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.

John Webber was the artist on Cook’s third voyage from 1776-1780.

Cook's traveled to Nootka Sound (King George's Sound), Vancouver Island, on the north-west coast of America between March 29-April 26th, 1778. This was likely when Webber made this drawing.

Mounted in album with PAI4078-PAI4166, PAI4168-PAI4214.; Page 211.; Plate No. 43.

Object Details

ID: PAI4167
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Mazell, Peter; Webber, John
Date made: 1778
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 400 x 570 mm; Plate: 200 x 265 mm
Parts: Atlas to Cook's Voyages Vol II 1777-1784. (Illustrations are from 'A Voyage towards the South Pole...1773-75' and 'A Voyage to the Northern Hemisphere... 1776-1780') (Album)