A fine original copper-plate engraved antique print, portrait of a Woman of the Islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, visited by Captain James Cook during his 2nd Voyage of Discovery in the South Seas in September 1774.
From a Dutch edition of Captain Cook's voyages: 'Reize rondom de Waereld door James Cook' (Captain Cook's Travels). From 1778 on printed editions of 'Captain Cook's Travels' appeared in English, Italian, French and Dutch.
This publication is considered the foundation of modern knowledge of the Pacific and a cornerstone of the literature of travel and exploration. Captain Cook's Voyages are an iconic symbol of discovery and served not only to contribute to many diverse fields of knowledge but also to inspire many who followed after him. The knowledge accumulated during these explorations greatly expanded the awareness of the world's geography, and his writings, maps, and drawings significantly aided in future navigations, making sea travel much more certain and educating the general public.
New Caledonia is a special collective of France in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,210 km east of Australia and 20,000 km from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia sub-region, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea. Locals refer to Grande Terre as Le Caillou (the pebble) British explorer Captain James Cook was the first European to sight New Caledonia, on 4 September 1774, during his second voyage. He named it New Caledonia, as the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland. The west coast of Grande Terre was approached by Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse in 1788, shortly before his disappearance, and the Loyalty Islands were first visited between 1793 and 1796 when Mare, Lifou, Tiga, and Ouvea were mapped by William Raven. The American whaler encountered the island named then Britania, and today known as Mar (Loyalty Is.) in November 1793. From 1796 until 1840, only a few sporadic contacts with the archipelago were recorded. About fifty American whalers (identified by Robert Langsom from their log books) have been recorded in the region (Grande Terre, Loyalty Is., Walpole and Hunter) between 1793 and 1887. Contacts became more frequent after 1840, because of the interest in sandalwood.
