An Offering before Capt. Cook, in the Sandwich Islands.

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

After laying anchor in Kealakekua Bay 27 January 1779, Cook and select members of his crew were hosted at a sacred kava ceremony in front of what appears to be a temple dedicated to the God, Lono.

Cook’s arrival had coincided with the celebration of the annual makahiki, a month-long festival honoring Lono, god of agriculture and fertility. It proved to be a fortuitous set of coincidences for Cook, for makahiki was a time when hostilities ceased, and festivities and feasting were part of the ceremonial events. Hawaiian legends had predicted that Lono, one of the four primary gods of the Hawaiian pantheon, would one day return to Hawai’i on “floating islands.” The Discovery and Resolution, far larger than even the largest Hawaiian voyaging canoes, might well have been mistaken for floating islands as they sailed offshore. Many believe that Cook was treated with respectful deference as he was probably thought to be the returning Lono.

The engraving depicts the grand ceremony of acknowledging Cook as an incarnation of the God Lono on 19 January, 1779. Cook was ceremoniously received twice, first on 17 January 1779 when Koa’a, the priest, conducted the ceremony in a heiau ‘called Hikiau’.

Beddie 1743-60, p.342, Joppien 3.294A, ill.p.527

From Cook & King, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean Undertaken by the Command of His Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere….