A Draught Plan and Section of the Britannia Otehite War Canoe, Shewing the Plan.

Rare engraving from the official British Admiralty sanctioned edition of the accounts of Cook’s second voyage. All other later copies made of this image by other publishers were unauthorised, usually smaller and inferior in quality.

Cook visited Tahiti for the second time between 22 April to 14 May 1774.

‘I went with Otou to one of his large double canoes which was building and nearly ready to launch. She was by far the largest I had seen at any of the isles, he begged of me a grapling and grapling rope for her to which I aded an  English Jack and Pendant, the use of which he had been before fully instructed in. I desired that these two Joint Canoes, ie what is understood as a double canoe, might be called Britanne (Brit-tania) the name they had adopted for our Country, to which they readily consented and she was Christened accordingly.’ (Cook Journal II 402, 14 May, 1774.)

References; Beddie 1381-15, p.266, Joppien 2.116A, ill.p.216

From Cook’s, A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World, performed in His Majesty’s Ships the ‘Resolution’ and ‘Adventure’, In the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775.