[A branch of the bread-fruit tree with the fruit.]

A fine hand coloured example of this famous c.18th engraving of the breadfruit provided by the Tahitians at Matavia Bay (previously named by Wallis as Port Royal) on 13th April 1769.

After Cook’s return from Tahiti in the Endeavour, Joseph Banks and Solander the botanist, reported on the Bread fruit as a food source. This prompted colonial administrators and plantation owners to call for the introduction of the plant to the British colonies in the West Indies. Joseph Banks, as President of The Royal Society, offered a cash prize and a medal to the person who successfully introduced the plant. The first attempt by Blight led to the infamous ‘mutiny on the Bounty.’ On his second attempt, Bligh won the Royal Society medal.

Common name: Bread fruit
Modern binomial name: Artocarpus altilis
First described: 1769 Parkinson named the species Sitodium altile, three years later, Johann Reinhold Forster and Georg Forster published a description of the species using the name Artocarpus communis.
Distribution: Endemic to the Pacific but now found in over 90 countries.

From: Hawkesworth, An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere,…

References:
Hakluyt Society, The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook’s Voyages. Volume 1. The Voyages of the Endeavour 1768-1771. No. 42. London 1988: 1.132A ill.p.128
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 782.
Beddie, M. Bibliography of Captain James Cook, RN,FRS, Circumnavigator. Sydney 1970 648.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 861232
State Library Victoria: RARELTF 910.41 H31V
State Library New South Wales: CALL NUMBERS Q77/16
State Library South Australia: 990T