“The Reception of Captain Cook in Hapaee” is another engraving from the atlas of the official publication of Captain Cook’s journal, published in 1784. As in the prior two engravings, it was made from a drawing by John Webber, the voyages artist.
The engraving depicts a ceremony honoring Captain Cook's arrival in Hapaee, one of the islands of Tonga. Captain Cook and his officers are seated with the island's chiefs. His men are among a large circle of spectators watching combat competitions resembling gladiators competing in the coliseum in ancient Rome. The participants are competing in boxing, wrestling or fighting with clubs.
Captain Cook is quoted in his journal as saying "Presently after a number of men entered the Circle or Area before us, armed with Clubs….and began to engage and continued till one or the other gave out or their weapons were broke….there were Wristling and Boxing matches; the first were performed in the same m(an)ner as at Otahiete, and the second very little different from the method practiced in England.”
Otaheite is modern day Tahiti, which Cook had visited in the past, including at the outset of his 1st voyage, where he carried out his mission of bringing an artist, naturalists and scientists to observe the transit of Venus in front of the sun.
The Richard & Leslie Breiman Collection.
