Dancers, Ulietea Near Tahiti: Original 18th C. Engraving from Cook's 1st Voyage

Cook and the crew of his ship the Endeavour visited Raiatea, one of the Society Islands group near Tahiti, in July and August in 1769. The engraving depicts a group of elegantly dressed Raiatean men and women, as well as some children in a house with wood columns and beautiful beamed ceiling. Three women are dancing on woven mats to the music created by musicians on the left, including a flute-player and two drummers. An audience of men and women watch and listen on the right. A landscape of coconut palms and other foliage and hills can be seen through the open walls on the left and right.

The engraving is printed on laid chain-linked paper. There are some faint spots in the margins and a chip at the upper edge of the sheet. The printed area is in excellent 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.

The artist, Sidney Parkinson (1745-1771), was a Scottish botanical illustrator and natural history artist. He was the first European artist to visit Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. Parkinson was employed by the wealthy botanist Joseph Banks to travel with him on James Cook's first voyage to the Pacific in 1768-69 in HMS Endeavour. Parkinson made nearly a thousand drawings of plants and animals collected by Banks and another scientist, Daniel Solander on the voyage. He died at sea on the way to Cape Town of dysentery contracted at Princes' Island off the western end of Java. Banks paid his outstanding salary to his brother.