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 was in Fare, Huahine, Society Islands from October 12-November 2, 1777.

Webber's A View of Huaheine would have been of special interest to Cook for it depicts the site of Omai's new home. Omai was a young Rai'iaitean man who had traveled with Cook to London. He was the first Pacific Islander to visit Europe.

To leave Omai in the Society Islands, at the island of his choice, was one of Cook's written instructions for his third voyage. In consequence, Cook negotiated with the chieftains of the island for a suitable piece of land for Omai to settle upon and then had his carpenters build a timber house for him, in European style.


Mounted in album with PAI4078-PAI4156, PAI4158-PAI4214.; Page 201.; Plate No. 31.