202080: Fall 2020 8B-ENG-1101-OB, Representations Pacific Life
Course: ENG 1101 resentations of Pacific life Title of Slide show: “Captain cook and Tupaia”
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James Cook (1728 – 1779): Enlightenment Hero or Imperialist
British explorer, navigator, and cartographer for the British Royal Navy
Conducted three voyages to the Pacific Ocean
First voyage (1768–1771)
39 years old, a lieutenant on the ship Endeavour
Commissioned by Royal Navy, sponsored also by the Royal Society
o observe and record the 1769 Transit of Venus in Tahiti
Second voyage (1772–1775)
43 years old, promoted to Commander for the ships Resolution and Adventure
Royal Society commissions a mission to find Terra Australis
Encounters Antarctica
Third voyage (1776–1779)
48 years old, Commands Resolution and Discovery
In 1778 becomes first to officially contact Hawaiian Islands. Dies at 51.
WATCH: click on the image to view the short video
To cite this video:
Intext citation:
(“Short History”)
Works cited citation:
“Short History of James Cook and His Voyages.” YouTube. British Library. 17 May 2018. Accessed on 22 June 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vUqSREQY-7sE.
**Important Note: Your date Accessed will differ from this example. Insert the date you watched the video.
The Times: Age of Enlightenment
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REVIEW: The movement known as the Enlightenment used art (painting, sculpture, architecture) as context for ideas. Three prominent concepts of the Enlightenment are: Reason, Individualism, and Skepticism.
READ Enlightenment's impact on society.
Representations of the Natives by Captain James Cook’s Cook leaves England and stops at Madeira (12 Sep 1768), Rio de Janeiro (13 Nov 1768), rounds Cape Horn (25 Jan 1769) before reaching Tahiti on 13 April 1769.
•"We saw several of the Inhabitants, the Most of them Men and these March'd along the shore abreast of the Ship with long clubs in their hands as tho they ment to oppose our landing, the were all naked except their privy parts and were of a dark Coper colour with longblack hair" (37). •"Natives came off to us in their Canoes, but more to look at us then anything else we could not prevail with any of them to come on board and some would not come near the Ship" (38).
•"Natives in their Canoes came...and brought...Cocoa-nuts...and these they seem'd to set a great Value upon" (39).
•"They clime like Munkeys, but it was still harder to keep them from Stealing but every thing that came within their reach" (41).
Cook’s journals:
Cook, James. The Journals. London: Penguin Books, 1999. pp. 37-40.
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Knowing the crew would need provisions, Cook created rules for engagement.
Cook decides, " to endeavour by every fair means to cultivate a friendship with the Natives to treat them with unimaginable humanity" (40). Those approved to handle trade on behalf of the crew succeed in provisioning the ship exchanging items like hatchets.
The Second Voyage (1772-1775)
Cook’s journals:
Cook, James. The Journals. London: Penguin Books, 1999. pp. 281, 282, 283.
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15 Aug 1773: "At this time many of the natives were on board the Sloops and about them in their canoes, bring[ing] off with them some fruit and fish which they exchanged for Nails, Beeds, &." (281)
17th Aug: "Both Sloops being by this time surrounded by a great number of the natives in their Canoes, they brought with them Cocoa-hutts, Plantans, Bananoes [sic], Apples, yams and other roots which they exchanged for Nails and Beeds. To Several who call'd themselves arree's (Chiefs) I made presents of Shirts, Axes and various other articles and in return they promised to bring me Hogs and Fowls, a promise they neither did nor never intended to perform" (282)
One of the natives spends "most of the day in the Cabbin" and Cook presents many presents, but caught the man "takeing [sic] things which did not belong to him" and rushes all the natives off the ship. "I was so exasperated at his behaver that after he had got a good distance from the Ship I fired two Musquet balls over his head which made him quet [sic] his Canoe and take to the Water." He sent a boat to take the canoe to shore, but the men were pelted with stones by the natives. Cook then orders a "4 pounder to be fire'd a long the Coast" which made the natives retreat" (283).
Native perceptions and representations
Tupaia and Mai (Omai)
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Tupaia
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Tupaia’s Role in Cook’s Voyage
Tupaia was from a priestly caste trained about the origins and genealogies, proverbs, and the histories of his people.
He knew how to navigate using the stars memorizing the positions of islands. He knew the bearings to reach the islands. What’s more, Tupaia knew the sizes, reefs, and harbors of the islands. He knew if the islands were inhabited with people along with its chief. More importantly, he knew if there was food or water available on these islands.
At the request of Joseph Banks, Cook’s naturalist on the First Voyage, Tupia and his boy-servant joined the crew in 1769.
Tupia became a navigator, translator, and a provided diplomatic services for the voyage. Tupaia was able to talk with the inhabitants, smooth over bad feelings; he was the go-between the Europeans and the islanders.
On Tupia: From the journal of Joseph Banks
"The Captain refuses to take [Tupaia] on his own account, in my opinion sensibly enough, the government will never in all human probability take any notice of him. I therefore have resolved to take him ... I do not know why I may not keep him as a curiosity, as well as some of my neighbours do lions and tigers at a larger expense than he will probably ever put me to; the amusement I shall have in his future conversation and the benefit he will be to this ship as well as well as what he may be if another should be sent to these seas, will I think fully repay me."
On Tupaia: Cook’s logs: 5 February 1770
Ship employd in Warping herself into a better berth for sailing, When after the anchor was carried out a fortunate eddy wind blew her into it. Our Old Man Topaa was on board, of whoom Tupia askd many questions concerning the Land &c. His answers were nearly as follows: 'that the streights which we had seen from the hills were realy a passage into the Eastern sea; that the Land to the South consisted of 2 Islands or several which might be saild round in 3 or 4 days in their canoes; that he knew of no other great land than that we had been upon, Aehia no Mauwe, of which Terawhitte was the southern part; that he beleivd his ancestors were not born there but came originaly from Heawye (the place from whence Tupia and the Islanders also derive their origin) which lay to the Northward where were many lands; that neither himself his father or his grandfather ever heard of ships as large as this being here before, but that [they] have a tradition of 2 large vessels, much larger than theirs, which some time or other came here and were totaly destroyd by the inhabitants and all the people belonging to them killd'. This Tupia says is a very old tradition, much older than his great grandfather, and relates to two large canoes which came from Olimaroa, one of the Islands he has mentiond to us. Whether he is right, or whether this is a tradition of Tasmans ships whose size in comparison to their own they could not from relation conceive a sufficient Idea of, and whoom their Warlike ancestors had told them they had destroyd, is dificult to say. Tupia all along warnd us not to beleive too much any thing these people told us; For says he they are given to lying, they told you that one of their people was killd by a musquet and buried Which was absolutely false.
14 August 1769 (Cook’s log)
The officer orderd a musquet to be fir'd over their heads his own having mis'd fire, two were immediately fird and they all instantly leapd into the water; one of our people however inconsiderately leveld a 3d at one of them who was swimming and the ball gras'd his forehead but I beleive did him no material harm, as he recoverd his boat and stood up in her as active as ever. The canoe now stood for the shore where were a large number of people collected I beleive 200; our boat also pulld in but found the land guarded all round with a shoal upon which the sea broke much, so was obligd to go along shore in hopes of finding a more convenient landing place. We saw the canoe go ashore where the people were assembled who came down to her seemingly very eager to enquire into our behavior to them; soon after a single man came along shore armd with a long lance, he came abreast of the boat and then began to dance and shake his weapon calling out in a very shrill voice, which we understood from Tupia was a defiance sent from the people. We rowd along shore and he attended us sometime, we found it however impracticable to land and as for the gen lemans tricks we gave ourselves very little concern about them: we therefore resolvd to return to the bay and try if it would be practicable to land where the Canoe did, hoping that if we should not the people would at least come and make peace either on the shoal or in their Canoes of which we saw only two in the Island, which was one more than Tupia allowd them who said they had but one.
As we rowd gently along shore our defying champion was joind by another likewise armd with a lance and dressd with a large cap of the tail feathers of tropick birds and his body coverd, as indeed many of them were, with stripes of different coulourd cloths, yellow red and brown; he (who we now calld Harlequin) danc'd as the other had done only with much more nimbleness and dexterity. These two were soon after Joind by an older looking man likewise armd who came gravely down to the beach and hailing us askd from whence we came, Tupia answerd him from Otahite. The three then went peaceably along shore till the boat came to a shoal upon which a few people were collected; they talkd together and soon after began to póorah or pray very loud to which Tupia made his responses but continued to tell us that they were not our freinds.
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25 October 1769 (Cook’s log)
Went ashore this morn and renewd our searches for plants &c. with great success. In the mean time Tupia who staid with the waterers had much conversation with one of their preists; they seemd to agree very well in their notions of religion only Tupia was much more learned than the other and all his discourse was heard with much attention. He askd them in the course of his conversation with them many questions, among the rest whether or no they realy eat men which he was very loth to beleive; they answered in the affirmative saying that they eat the bodys only of those of their enemies who were killd in war.
Tupaia’s observations
A Native Perceives and Represents Pacific Islanders
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Tupaia. Musicians of Tahiti. 1770. British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/musicians-of-Tahiti
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Tupaia. Indigenous Australians in bark canoes, drawing by Tupaia. 1770 . British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/indigenous-australians-in-bark-canoes-drawing-by-Tupaia.
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Tupaia. Longhouse and Canoes in Tahiti, drawing by Tupaia. 1769 . British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/longhouse-and-canoes-in-Tahiti.
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Tupaia. Otaheite: Dancing girl and Chief mourner, drawing by Tupaia. 1769 . British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/otaheite-dancing-girl-and-chief-mourner.
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Tupaia. Maori Trading a Crayfish with Joseph Banks, drawing by Tupaia. 1769 . British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/maori-trading-a-crayfish-with-joseph-banks.
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Tupaia. The Society Islands, drawing by Tupaia. 1769. British Library. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-society-islands.
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Mai (also spelled omai): native representative on Cook’s second voyage
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The Third (and Last) Voyage (1776-1780)
As soon as we drew near we saw people on...the Coast...and g[a]ve them time to come up to us.... The Canoes stoped at...a pistol shot from the Ship, all the Omai could say or do did not prevail on the men ... to come nearer.... We learnt from the Men in the Canoes, that they had Hogs, Fowls, and the several fruits and roots that are found at the other islands. These men spoke the Otahiete language..., they had nothing on but the Maro.... These Canoes were single with out-riggers but broader than usual, something like those of New Zealand, both head and stern was raised and the latter was ornamented with Carved work (493-4).
When we first drew near the island, several Canoes came off to the Ships each conducted by two or three men, but as they were only common fellows Omai took no notice of them nor they of him, they did not even seem to perceive he was one of their Countrymen although they conversed with him for some time (494).
If Omai's information is to be depended upon [the natives's] Naval engagements are... some times lash ... two Vessels together head to head and then fall too and fight till all the wariors are killed in either one or the other of the Canoes. But this way of fighting I apprehend, is never practised but when they are determined to conquer or die, indeed one or the other must happen for all agree that they never give quarter, unless it be to reserve them for a more cruel death the next day. The power and strength of these islands lies intirely in their Natives, I never heard of a general engagement on land, so that all their desitive battles are fought on the Water (509). [Please note that all of Cook's spellings are kept.]
Cook’s journals:
Cook, James. The Journals. London: Penguin Books, 1999. pp. 493-4, 494, 509.
Images of Omai:
“Omai” or Mai, formerly a king’s attendant, was taken onboard by Cook in 1773 (Second Voyage). Mai had met Cook during the First Voyage in 1769. Mai was from the Society Islands. (Tahiti is one of those islands.) He stayed in Britain for about two years, sponsored and befriended by Cook’s science officer, Joseph Banks (First Voyage). Mai was introduced to British society. He later returned to his home where he resided in a western style home.
Full body: Reynolds, Joshua. “Portrait of Omai a South Sea Islander who travelled to England with the second expedition of captain Cook, 1776.” Wikipedia contributors. "Omai." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Jun. 2020. Web. 22 Jun. 2020.
Head: Reynolds, Joshua. “Omai of the Friendly Islands.” c. 1774. Wikipedia contributors. "Omai." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Jun. 2020. Web. 22 Jun. 2020.
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Other Native Travelers accompanying European explorers:
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1769
READ: 1769 AHUTORU [http://www.thetahititraveler.com/ahutoru/ ]
1773
READ: 1773 (“Odiddy”) HITIHITI [info on him is buried in https://www.portrait.gov.au/magazines/61/rethinking-foundational-histories ]
1789
READ: 1789 BENNELONG [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennelong ] in 1789
1802
READ: 1802 COLEBEE [ https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/colebee ]
End of slide show
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