• Title : Poulaho, King of the Friendly Islands.
• Size: 13in x 9in (330mm x 230mm)
• Ref #:  31788
• Date : 1784
• Condition: (A+) Fine Condition

Description:
This fine original copper-plate engraved antique print of Fatafehi Paulaho, the Tu i Tonga or Tongan King - visited by Captain James Cook during the third voyage of discovery - after John Webber - was published in the 1784 English publication of Cooks third Voyage.

......On the 28th May 1777, as Cook was about to leave, Ha apai Paulaho came on board and brought me one of their Caps made or at least covered with red feathers. ..These Caps or rather bonnets are made of the tail feathers of the Tropic bird with red feathers of the Paroquets worked upon them or in along with them, they are made so as to tie upon the forehead without any Crown, and have the form of a Semicircle whose raids is 18 or 21 Inches\'. Cook Journals III, i.117.
Cook had described Paulaho as \'the corperate plump fellow we had met with\'.
......About Noon a large sailing Canoe came under our Stern in which the Indians on board told us was Fattafee Polaho [Fatafehi Paulaho] King of all the Isles. He brought with him as a present to me two good fat hogs, though not so fat as himself, for he was the most corperate plump fellow we had met with. I found him to be a Sedate sensible man… I asked him down into the Cabbin, some of his attendants objected to this, saying if he went there people would walk over his head and this was never done. I desired Omai to till them I would remove that objection by giving orders that no one should walk on that part of the deck\' but the chief \'waved the ceremony and walked down with me without any more to do.....

General Definitions:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color : - off white
Age of map color: -
Colors used: -
General color appearance: -
Paper size: - 13in x 9in (330mm x 230mm)
Plate size: - 13in x 9in (330mm x 230mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

Background: 
John Webber was born in London, of Swiss descent. In the spring of 1776 he showed three works at the Royal Academy\'s annual exhibition, where they attracted the attention of Dr Daniel Solander, President of the Royal Society and a friend and colleague of botanist Joseph Banks. Both had sailed with Captain James Cook on his first voyage of exploration in the Pacific aboard the \'Endeavour\', and were looking for a suitable artist to accompany them on a third trip. Solander recommended Webber to the Admiralty, and he was appointed almost immediately.
The voyage commenced on 12 July 1776. Upon his return to London in 1780, Webber submitted about 200 finished works to the Admiralty, which he had made on the voyage. From autumn 1780 until summer 1784, he re-drew many of the drawings and supervised the engravers and printers who were preparing the images for publication, under the direction of Lord Sandwich