Description
Rare c.18th engraving from the official British Admiralty sanctioned edition of the accounts of Cook’s second voyage.
Cook discovered the island group of New Caledonia on 4 September 1774, which he named New Caledonia. The Resolution remained in New Caledonia from 5 to 13 September, 1774.
‘Some of them have a kind of Concave cylindrical stiff black caps, these seemed to be a great ornament among them, and we thought anly worn by men of note or Wariors, a large sheet of our strong paper, when ever they got one, was generally applied to this use’. Cook, Journal II, 540, 2 September 1774.
The attachment to the hat is described as ‘A becket, or a piece of cord made of cocoa-nut bark, used in throwing their lances.’ Foster II, 385, 1777.
From Cook’s, A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World, performed in His Majesty’s Ships the ‘Resolution’ and ‘Adventure’, In the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775.
References:
Beddie, M. Bibliography of Captain James Cook, RN,FRS, Circumnavigator. Sydney 1970. 1381-39
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 358.
Joppien,R. & Smith, B. The Art of Captain Cook’s Voyages; Vol. I, II & III. Melbourne 1985-1987. 2.137A, ill.p.238
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967. 16245.
Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 90039
State Library New South Wales: RECORD IDENTIFIER 74VvMokVOlGA / 74VvMoxg6JJX
