Longhouse and Canoes in Tahiti

Polynesian longhouse in Tahiti with trees and plants; Tahitian canoes sailing in the foreground; by Tupai'a

Description

Tupa’ia, a navigator and priest from Raiatea, assisted Captain James Cook on his first voyage to the South Pacific (1769–71). The drawing shows a traditional longhouse in Tahiti situated on a beach fertile with different types of trees and plants (pandanus, breadfruit, banana, coconut and taro can all be identified).

In the foreground three canoes are being navigated by local men. The double-sailed vessel on the left is a sailing canoe and the other two boats are used for war. The bow and stern of each war canoe is decorated with a wooden ‘tiki’ sculpture (a carved image of a god or ancestor). Warriors armed with spears stand on platforms raised from the sterns of both vessels ready for battle.

Full title:: Drawings, in Indian ink, illustrative of Capt. Cook's first voyage, 1768 -1770, chiefly relating to Otaheite and New Zealand, by A. Buchan, John F. Miller, and others. Large Folio. Bequeathed by Sir Joseph Banks, Bart.
Created:: 1769
Format:: Pen and Indian Ink / Watercolour / View
Creator:: Tupaia
Copyright:: © British Library
Held by: British Library
Shelfmark:: Add MS 15508

Full catalogue details

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