A View of Kauai, Hawaii as Seen by Captain Cook: An Original 18th C. Engraving

This engraving depicts Captain Cook's visit to the village of Waimea on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Hawaii was discovered by Captain James Cook. He first saw present day Oahu on January 18th, 1778, but sailed past it. He and the crew of his ships the H.M.S. Resolution and Discovery made their 1st landing on Kauai at the village of Waimea. He named the islands the Sandwich Islands after John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich, head of the British Admiralty at the time and a patron of Cook's. The name was in use until 1819 when King Kamehameha I unified the islands into a single kingdom called Hawaii.

The scene depicts huts composed of grasses on the right and in the background on the left. Native men are working in the foreground. One is rolling a barrel, two natives carry a pig strung to a pole, while others are bartering with English sailors. A panoramic view of the island's interior is seen in the distance. The scene was witnessed by John Webber, the artist who accompanied Cook on his 3rd voyage of discovery. He made the drawing that was used for this 18th century engraving.

The engraving is printed on laid chain-linked paper. The sheet measures 9.75" in height 15.25" in width. There is staining of the upper left corner, small spots on the left and some chipping of the left edge and to a lesser extent the right edge. There is a short crease in the upper right corner. and minimal blunting of three corners. The image is in good condition and beautifully inked.

Alexander Hogg was an 18th and early 19th century publisher of illustrated books of architectural and historical prints, as well as maps. His publishing house was located in London at the Kings Arms on Paternoster Row.