John Webber's South Sea Drawings for the Admiralty: a Newly Discovered Catalogue Among the Papers Of

JOHN WEBBER S SOUTH SEA DRAWINGS FOR THE ADMIRALTY A NEWLY DISCOVERED CATALOGUE AMONG THE PAPERS OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS

RUDIGER JOPPIEN

THE Department of Manuscripts in the British Library, a treasure-house of many little- known works of art which one might not expect to find there, preserves more than 150 drawings and water-colours by the British artist John Webber (1750 93). The late Martin Hardie, a connoisseur of the British water-colour school, praised Webber as a 'good draughtsman and a delicate colourist'' but, in spite of this favourable view, Webber's work has remained largely unknown to art historians and has never been properly examined.- This may have been due to the fact that Webber's work requires rather specialized attention. Webber was the official draughtsman on Captain Cook's third voyage to the Pacific (1776-80); this had a very direct bearing upon his development as an artist and on his choice of subject-matter. Webber was present when Cook discovered the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and explored the north-west coast of America; for the period of four years he recorded places which no artist before him had seen. It seems that the works from this voyage exceed in number those which Webber produced during his later travels in Great Britain and Europe. Ofthe tropical regions which Webber had visited he retained vivid memories, so that for many years after the voyage he continued to draw inspiration from them. The majority of his oil paintings which he exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1784 and 1791 reflect this predilection for exotic subject-matter.^ Today examples of Webber's South Sea pictures may be seen in several museums and libraries throughout the world. Of these his collection of drawings and water-colours in the British Library (Add. MSS. 15513, 15514, and 17277) is the most extensive and also the most representative of his (£uvre. It comprises about fifty sketches from life in pen and pencil (Add. MS. 17277), and another group of ninety-one finished drawings in pen wash and water-colour (Add. MSS. 15513,15514). These latter drawings have always been regarded as the more important part of the collection because of their greater refinement and careful colouring. It is perhaps surprising that the two groups of drawings do not have the same provenance. According to a note in the volume. Add. MS. 17277 was purchased from a Mr. H. Bohn on 13 November 1847;'* its history before that date is difficult to trace.5 The other two portfolios (since bound up as volumes) had already reached the British Museum; they were presented by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on 13 June 1843,*^ and there is good reason to believe that in its turn the Admiralty had received the drawings from the artist himself Webber had been employed to make a graphic

49 record of all stages of Cook's voyage on the understanding that on his return to England he would deliver his drawings to the Board of the Admiralty, thus providing both a per- manent record of the places visited and also material for the illustrations in the intended publication of Cook's journal ofthe voyages.' The fact that these drawings derive from the Admiralty is significant, for it could mean that they represent Webber's original collection as handed over to the Admiralty. But if this was the case it would necessarily include all those drawings which were used for the sixty-one plates in Cook's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, published in 1784 under the auspices ofthe Admiralty.« While there are indeed several drawings relating to the illustrations, even a superficial survey suggests that there are serious gaps in the Admiralty volumes. Moreover, it seems doubtful that the drawings in the present order reflect the original state in which Webber arranged and submitted them. Their chronology is confused in places, and there is one drawing which is not in Webber's hand at all, and perhaps is not even by a member of Cook's company.^ There are indications that at one time this collection was subjected to some careless interference. How can this observation be consistent with the excellent provenance of the volumes? Is the collection of drawings which the Admiralty presented to the British Museum in 1843 identical in all respects with the one which Webber had delivered to the Admiralty in 1780? Judging from the evidence available, this is not so. Webber's works for the Admiralty have not yet been the subject of an individual study; neither is the extent of his commission, nor the variety of subjects which he depicted generally known, so that it may be helpful to draw attention to an interesting manuscript which is in the custody of the National Library of Australia, Canberra, and which is now published for the first time. The document in question is the Catalogue of Drawings and of Portraits m Oyl by Mr. Webber. It once belonged to Sir Joseph Banks and is now preserved among the Banks Papers in the Manuscript Branch ofthe National Library.'*^ Banks, a natural historian of international repute. President ofthe Royal Society for more than forty years, had consolidated his career as a botanist by sailing with Captain Cook around the world on board the Endeavour in 1768-71. As a result of this he became keenly interested in the scientific results of Cook's subsequent voyages. When, in the autumn of 1780 after a remarkable voyage of exploration, the Resolution and Discovery returned to England and the Admiralty decided to publish an illustrated account of the expedition. Banks was appointed to take charge ofthe production ofthe publication, with particular responsibility for seeing to the production ofthe illustrations. The correspondence which has survived between Banks and Lord Sandwich, the First Lord of the Admiralty, with John Webber, the engravers, and the printers hears witness to the long and painstaking process of producing Cook's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, which continued over a period of nearly four years (1780-4)." The Catalogue of Drawings and of Portraits in Oyl by Mr, Webber is the earliest of several surviving documents which illuminate the importance ofthe illustrative material as part ofthe publication ofthe official account.^- The Catalogue consists of twelve folio pages listing 172 drawings of two sizes (roll and portfolio), and twenty oil paintings (nineteen of which are portraits). Drawings and oils are Hsted separately; their titles refer mostly to topographical and ethnographical subjects, but a few

50 bear on natural history. The total of 192 works is consistent with a statement which Webber made shortly after his return to England in a letter to a Swiss friend, saying that he had brought with him 'nearly two hundred drawings, besides an important number of portraits in oil'.^ It may seem surprising that during an absence of four years Webber should not have produced more than two hundred works, but there is good reason to believe that the number quoted includes only more or less finished works and not mere pencil or ink sketches. Moreover, probably only what one might call 'human' drawings are represented. As draughtsman to the expedition Webber's responsibilities included the drawing of coastal profiles, which were an immensely important aid to navigation for the seaman; but there is no sign that such drawings were included in the Catalogue. Furthermore it only contains a very few examples of natural-history subjects, although the fact that Webber was reasonably active in this field is borne out by an album of water-colour drawings of birds, fish, and reptiles which Sir Joseph Banks acquired from the artist and which is now in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum.'-* Leaving aside therefore those drawings which were largely of interest only to the specialist, the Catalogue concentrates on subjects which were closely connected with the events of the voyage and thus had a wider appeal. In the opening pages of his journal Cook had written that Mr. Webber had been engaged as artist 'to preserve, and to bring home, such drawings ofthe most memorable scenes of our transactions' so that the voyage could be made 'entertaining to the generality of readers'. ^5 xhe drawings as listed in the Catalogue seem to reflect and fulfil this commission very well. On 10 October 1780, only four days after the return ofthe ships. Lord Sandwich wrote to inform his friend Banks that Captain King (the commander ofthe Discovery) and John Webber had been presented to the King and had successfully shown him their charts and drawings.'^ Sandwich adds that he desires 'to consult Banks as to the publication of the Journal and drawings of Captain Cook's voyage and the preservation of such ofthe 200 drawings as are not selected for publication'.'^ It is interesting that the figure thus quoted should coincide not only with the one which Webber had reported to his Swiss friend but also with the number of works listed in the Catalogue. Sandwich's concern about the preservation ofthe drawings and the fact that the King had already inspected them suggest that they had already been handed over by the artist. Webber no doubt had his drawings and oils ready on arrival as an immediate source of information, knowing that they would be consulted in conjunction with the accounts and journals which Cook and other members of the expedition had written. While Webber would have finished several of his drawings on the spot, the majority were probably finished on the homeward voyage from Cracatoa to England by reworking and colouring earlier compositions or making new ones from the many sketches which he kept. When Webber handed his collection over, it included drawings and oils which ranged over a period of four years and which represented unfamiliar subjects from more than twenty places. Such a collection certainly required some sort of list and it was probably for this purpose that the Catalogue of Drawings and of Portraits was produced. It had the double function of being an inventory ofthe works delivered and a means of explaining the various subjects to the

51 unprepared, non-specialist viewer. The probability of this theory and the fact that the pronoun 'our' appears in several ofthe Catalogue entries (suggesting that a member ofthe expedition was the writer) indicate Webber as the most likely author of the document. Even if the handwriting is not Webber's, the manuscript may have been copied or written by a different hand under Webber's instruction. If we can assume that the Catalogue was prepared for and delivered to the Admiralty in conjunction with Webber's South Sea pictures, it seems equally likely that it was transferred to Banks in his capacity as editor of the official account of the voyage. It would then follow that the Catalogue (which still bears some inscriptions in pencil in Banks's hand) was kept and incorporated into his library, and in this way has remained with the Banks Papers.'^ But before any other conclusions about the Catalogue are drawn its text must be given in full:

Catalogue of Drawings and of Portraits in Oyl by Mr. Webber Island of Desolation or Kerguelen's Land N? i 1. A distant view of Christmas Harbour 2. A View of Christmas Harbour \ In the Roll 3. A Plant of Ditto

New Holland. Van Diemans Land N? 2 4. A Portrait of a Woman 5. A Ditto of a Man ) In the Portefeuille 6. An animal called the Opossum 7. The S.E. part of Adventure Bay 1 R 11 8. An Interview between Capf} Cook & the natives j

New Zealand N'.' 3 9. A Portrait of a Chief 10. A distant view of a Hippah 11. The Hippah 12. A General view of Queen Charlottes Sound 13. A representation ofthe Natives in their temporary habitations.

The Friendly Islands. NV 4 14. A Boxing Match 15. King Pawlehow drinking his Cava, and attended by the Principal Chiefs of the Island 16. A conversation 17. A Tropic Bird Portefeuille 18. A Portrait of a Woman 19. Sailing Canoes 20. A Goula Parroquet of Fidgee 21. A Parrot of Amsterdam 52 22. The manner of receiving, entertaining, and making Captain Cook a present of the productions of the Island, on his arrival at the Happi. 23. A night Heiva or Dance, performed by Men 24. A Ditto by Women 25. The Harbour of Anamooka Roll 26. The Burying place for a family of a Chief at Amsterdam 27. A Grand Paddle Heiva or Dance 28. A view ofthe Island Middleburg 29. The Annache or Ceremony of Inauguration of the Heriditary Prince at Amsterdam

Society Islands. NV 5 30. A View in the Valley of Matavy Bay 31. A View ofthe Harbour of Aimeo from the Hills 32. A Sailing canoe of Ulaietea 33. A Ditto 34. The Body of a Chief lying in State at Oparree 35. A Portrait of a Chief of Oparapora 36. Two Ditto of Chiefs of Ulaietea 37. The Manner of a Chief sending a present to Captain Cook, Cloth & other Articles 38. A Fishing Canoe [in pencil: of Otaheite] 39. A Ditto • Portefeuille 40. TheBody of a Chief lying in State at Oparree [Oparree crossed out and replaced by Otahaite Peha] 41. A Canoe of a Ch'\e( [in pencil: of Otahaite] 42. A War Canoe [in pencil: of D?] 43. A Chief Mourner [tn pencil: of D

Watieew N'.' 7 62. A Portrait of a Native I Ditto 63. A Canoe with a view of the Island J

Herveys Islands N? 8 64. A Canoe with Natives and a distant view ofthe Island } Portefeuille

King George's Sound America. N*? 9 65. A Native prepared for Hunting 66. A Sea Otter 67. An Inside view ofthe Natives Habitations 68. A Ditto ^ Portefeuille 69. A Portrait of a Man 70. A Ditto of a Woman 70* [in pencil: different ornaments] 71. A view at our first anchoring place 72. A view of the Natives Habitations 73. A view in Ship Cove Roll 74. A View in Ship Cove 75. The appearance of the Natives when going to War

Sandwich Sound—America N9 10 76. A Portrait of a Woman 77. A Ditto of a Man \ Portefeuille 78. A Canoe 79. A Bardar with a Family 80. A view with the first appearance of the Natives \ 81. A Ditto in Snug Corner Harbour, our second Station J

River Turnagain N*? 11 82. A Portrait of a Native 1 Portefeuille 83. A Quiver , i [m pencil]

Norton Sound N<^ 12 84. A view with the Natives & their Habitations 85. A White Bear 86. A View of the Resolution and Discovery among the Ice 87. The Discovery blocked up [tn pencil: in the ice] 88. Our Method of killing the Sea Horse or Morse 54 [88]* Aoonalaska—America An inside view ofthe Natives Habitations A Portrait of a Woman A Ditto of a Man A Ditto Portefeuille Caps wore at particular Ceremonies 6. A Man in their Usual Dress 7. A Woman in Ditto 8. Canoes 9. A View with Habitations 10. A Water Fall Roll 11. A Sketch for the Harbour of Samganouda

Sandwich Islands N*? 13 89. The Portrait of a Girl of Owhyhee 90. The Ditto of a Man of Attooi 91. A Canoe of Ditto 92. A view of the North point of Carracacooah Bay 93. Dancers of Owhyhee 94. A Marrai or Burying place at Attooi 95. Instruments of Music Portefeuille 96. A Portrait of a Native of Morowee 97. An Inside of a House shewing their Idols 98. A Ceremony at Owhyhee where the Natives came on board masked 99. An Idol made of Wicker, and covered with red Feathers 100. A Portrait of a Mask 101. A Portrait of a Warrior Atooi 102. Boxing Matches for the entertainment of Capt? Cook and his Officers at Owhyhee 103. An Island view at Atooi 104. A View of our Sailing into the Harbour of Carracacooah with a distant view ofthe Island Owhyhee 105. A view of part of Oneehow 106. The S.E. part of Carracacooah Bay Roll 107. A ceremonious offering before Capt" Cook and some of his Officers on their landing at Owhyhee. 108. The King with a Number of Chiefs—bringing presents for the reception of Capf} Cook at Owhyhee. 109. A view ofthe Harbour and Town of Carracacooah Owhyhee 110. An Island view at Attowi

55 Kamschatka N'? 14 111. The Inside of a Winter Habitation called a Jourte 112. A Portrait of a Woman 113. A Portrait of a Man 114. A Jourte or Kamchadale Winter Habitation 115. Several Ballagans Summer Habitations 116. Several Ditto 117. Several Ditto - Portefeuille 118. An inside of one 119. The manner the Kamschadales travel in winter 120. A ditto transporting their Luggage 121. A Sea Parrot 122. A painted Duck of Kamschatka 123. A Sledge 124. A view of the Harbour Peter and Paul with part of the Bay of Awatcha 125. A View of part of Bolchoiereka 126. A view ofthe North End ofthe Harbour Peter and Paul with the Roll Mountain Awachinskoi 127. A view ofthe village Paratounka, with the Mountains Awachinskoi 128. The N.E. side ofthe Bay of Awatscha 129. A view of the Resolution and Discovery lying in the Harbour St Peter & Paul

TchutschiN^ 15 130. A Tchuski Dance before Capt^ Cook and his officers, with a view Roll of their Habitations 131. Two of the Natives with a view of Ditto Portefeuille 132. A Quiver of Ditto

China N". 16 133. A View of Macao four Miles distant 134. A view of the Harbour and part of the NW. side of the City of Macao Roll 135. A View near Macao 136. Part ofthe Harbour with a view ofthe Green Island 137. A View with a Temple of Worship 138. A View in the Typa 139. A view near Macao 140. Tartar Boat 141. Ditto ' Portefeuille 142. Chinese Junks 143. Ditto 144. A Portrait of a Tartar Girl 145. A Ditto of a Chinese Pulo Condore NV 17 146. An Inland view in the Island Pulo Condore 147. A view with their Natives Habitations 148. A Sailing Vessel 149. A View 150. A Ditto ' Portefeuille 151. A Ditto 152. A plant called the Fan palm 153. A Buffalo 154. A portrait of a Cochin Chinese 155. A Ditto of a Woman

Caracatoa N? 18 156. A Canoe ] 157. A view of the Natives Habitations I Portefeuille 158. A Hog Deer of Princes Island J

Cape of Good Hope N? 19 159. A view of the North part of False Bay I R II 160. A view of the Harbour j

Portraits in Oyl Colours

Friendly Islands 1. Powlehow King ofthe Friendly Islands wearing a Cap of Ceremony 2. Fenow a Chief Warrior

Society Islands 3. Otoo King of Otahaite 4. Terreree Sister to King Otoo 5. Oediddee a Native 6. A Native 7. Poedua the Kings Daughter of Ulaietea

New Zealand 8. Kahowra a Chief

America—King George's Sound 9. A Portrait of a Warrior

Sandwich Islands 10. A Girl of Attowi 11. A Chief of Owhyhee 12. A ditto Warrior 57 Aoonalaska—America 13. A Man of ditto 14. A Woman of Ditto Kamtschatka 15. A Man of Ditto 16. A Woman of Ditto 17. A Ditto 18. A Scetch of the North part of the Harbor S\ Peter and Paul China 19. A Chinese 20. A Ditto

As a documentary source of information for Cook's third voyage, Webber's Catalogue is of great importance. It groups all the major points of call under twenty geographical headings, with the sole exception of Teneriffe.'^ Because the Cape of Good Hope (the second call on the outward voyage in 1776, visited again in 1780) is placed at the end, the Catalogue begins with Kerguelen's Land (fig. i). Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and New Zealand follow as the next stages. The principle which the Catalogue generally follows is chronological, but in several instances it departs from this practice. There is some confusion when 'Monyneneva'-*' (Mangaia), 'Watiew'-' (Atiu), and Hervey's Island (Manua)—islands which Cook had passed on his way from New Zealand to the Friendly Islands—are placed after the Society Islands.-^ Another problem exists regarding Norton Sound. In Webber's Catalogue Norton Sound follows after Turnagain River (Cook Inlet). In reality, however. Cook sailed to Unalashka (Aleutian Islands) after he had left Cook Inlet, and from there on to Tschutzki Land (10 August 1778); he penetrated the Arctic Ocean and reached Icy Cape on the northern coast of Alaska on 19 August; being blocked by icebergs he was then compelled to make for the coast of Asia again, and (as the season was too far advanced to resume the search for the North-West Passage) only then did he sail to the south, reaching Norton Sound on II September. Webber's entries for Norton Sound include scenes from Icy Cape, while Tschutzki Land is completely taken out of the chronological order and placed nearer to the end of the voyage, after Kamtchatka. However, Webber's organization of the entries is not as thoughtless as it may seem; he only exchanges the principle of chronology for a concern for geographical 'probability'. Consequently Tschutzki Land at the extreme north-east of Asia has been placed nearer to Kamtchatka and thus to Asia, rather than to Alaska and America/^ When Webber lists drawings of the Sandwich Islands under one entry only, disregarding the fact that these islands were visited twice at different times, he is following the same idea of grouping and unifying his pictures with as much geographical coherence as possible. Considering that Webber's drawings came from many regions of the Pacific and showed representatives of many nations, the need to distinguish between the various groups of drawings was particularly important and the grouping required this

58 f ..4:

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^. 7. National Library of Australia, MS. 9/140 {Banks Papers) didactic structure. Tbe individual titles ofthe works leave little to be desired. Tbey are descriptive and precise, and they speak the language of somebody who had been present on the spot. Certainly Webber was quick to grasp the meaning of tbe scenes which he drew and Cook, as a keen observer of ethnographical matters, may have given him instruction and advice more than once. It is indeed remarkable bow closely Webber's titles correspond to various incidents recorded in tbe journals. Webber carefully named every object or view—sometimes witb some licence in his orthography—and his first-hand sketches which have survived bear out his habit of inscribing or endorsing every drawing with relevant information. If we examine the representation ofthe works in relation to the places visited, we find a clear preponderance in favour ofthe three Polynesian archipelagos, the Friendly, Society, and Sandwich Islands. The coasts of north-west America, Kamtchatka, and south-east Asia are almost as well covered. The types of work by which each country or island is represented, are relatively consistent in themselves. There are landscape views which frequently show harbours, anchoring places, or other scenes of events which had been of consequence to the expedition. Another group of works is made up of portraits of natives which as a rule are represented by both sexes. There is also some considerable interest in houses and the natives' way of living. Their spiritual life, religions, ceremonies, or festivities are also well observed. Cook, who had already shown great interest in Polynesian culture during his two earlier voyages in the Pacific, this time became deeply absorbed in customs and beliefs ofthe natives, and his eagerness to visit any sacred ground and to attend any ceremony may well have influenced Webber's choice of subject-matter. The material culture of the natives was of course equally curious, but as many objects could be bartered and taken back to England the necessity of drawing these was not so great. But where the objects were too large to be taken on board and were of particular interest to a seafaring nation like the British, matters were different: nineteen ofthe drawings listed in the Catalogue depict different kinds of boats and canoes as they were used in the Pacific. The general character ofthe Catalogue and its range and consistency of subject- matter is reflected in the illustrations in the official account ofthe expedition. The latter are, however, far fewer in number. Ofthe total of 192 pictures only sixty-one were selected for engraving and included in the atlas of charts and illustrations. Our knowledge ofthe subject-matter of the illustrations makes it relatively easy to spot the original drawings amongst the Catalogue entries. But we are then faced with the question of identifying the remaining two-thirds of the listed works with drawings and oils by Webber which are known to exist today. It has been said earlier that the two portfolios of drawings in the British Library, Add. MSS. 15513, 15514, actually came from the Admiralty archives, but doubt was expressed as to whether they represent the original collection in its entirety as Webber had submitted it. Having examined Webber's Catalogue^ we can answer this question in the negative with certainty. On the other hand, quite a number of individual drawings in those volumes immediately spring to mind as corresponding to particular Catalogue entries, and, as the largest individual group of South Sea drawings by Webber extant, the Admiralty volumes must be carefully examined, to find out exactly which drawings relate to those 60 listed in the Catalogue. To describe this procedure in detail would be lengtby, for it depends in the final place upon familiarity with Cook's journals, a knowledge of ethnology (which can admit some possible identifications and exclude others), and, above all, a knowledge of Webber's ceuvre in its entirety. The number of entries which can be tied in with extant drawings is too great for detailed treatment here, so I will confine myself to some general observations and tbe provision of a list'of identifications. As bas been said, the drawings which can be linked with the Catalogue most easily are those which were engraved. Their subjects are familiar from the illustrations, and the publisbed captions are in almost all cases very similar to if not identical with the respective entries in the Catalogue. But once this secure territory is left, other clues have to be used. One of these is provided by the Catalogue's distinction between two different sizes of drawings; portfolio and roll. This distinction no doubt indicates the way in which Webber had kept and submitted his works. The use of two different, in themselves slightly varying, measurements can be confirmed by checking those drawings in the Admiralty volumes whose identification is beyond doubt.^ (In tbis context it should, however, be observed that the volumes in the British Library are larger than the portfolios which Webber used; thus they allow for the inclusion of a number of drawings whicb Webber had listed as Voir.) Once the outside measurements ofthe two sizes are established, the size of a drawing can serve as an aid to making a correct identification. It should also be noticed tbat very many of the drawings in the Admiralty volumes, which can be securely identified, are signed and dated 'J, Webber del. 1777' (or other year). The fact that they are dated, reflects their nature as official Admiralty records. Thus whenever a drawing is signed and dated in this way, there is a strong possibility that it belongs to the original stock. If these clues can only be regarded as tentative aids in sifting circumstantial evidence, we are on more solid ground with the fact that several of the drawings in the Admiralty volumes are inscribed or numbered in pencil. Inscriptions of locations by a later hand often occur on the lower part ofthe mount; these are mostly correct but not infallible.-^ There are other inscriptions, however, or often the almost illegible remnants of other inscriptions, along the upper part of the drawings which seem to be in Webber's own handwriting. Add. MS. 15514,30, for example, has an inscription on the upper left, 'A view ofthe village of Paratounqua\ and what looks like a '127' in the upper right-hand corner. It can thus be identified in the catalogue as no. 127 'A view ofthe village Paratounka, with the mountains Awachinskoi'.-^ Pencil numbers (or remains of them), often in the top right-hand corner, are found on several other drawings and therefore constitute a link with the Catalogue. Two further examples may suffice: Add. MS, 15514.6, representing a quiver, is numbered 83 and can thus be properly identified as a quiver from Turnagain River; Add. MS. 15514.25 bears the number 89 and thus tbe sitter is revealed as a 'Woman of Owhyhee'. Fortunately in every case where such a numerical link exists between the drawing and tbe Catalogue, the geographical and ethnographical content of the drawing agrees with the entry in the Catalogue. What is less fortunate is that in many other cases the numbers have become illegible or bave been effaced by otber subsequent pencil marks. Even so, although only a modest number of drawings can be numerically identified in this way, 61 they are enough to provide evidence for a close relationship between the Catalogue and the drawings in the Admiralty volumes. This is particularly valuable since it confirms, or at least lends more weigbt to, our previous observations about tbe sizes, signatures, and dates of tbe drawings. Given this proof of a real link between these volumes and the Catalogue^ one can proceed to determine, one by one, wbich drawings in the volumes correspond to which entries in the Catalogue^ and the following list gives the results of this exercise. The entry number from the catalogue is followed by tbe manuscript and folio number in the first bracket and, wbere applicable, the plate number in Cook's Voyage in tbe second bracket: I (15513.1); 2(15513.3)(pi. 4);4(15513.5)(pi. 7); 5 (15513.4)(pi. 5); 11(15513.6)(pi. IO); 14 (15513.9) (pi. 15); 18 (15513.12) (pi. 23); 22 (15513-8) (pl- 14); 24 (1551310) (pi. 17); 25 (15513-7) (Pl- 13); 26(15513.11) (pi. 21); 30(15513.15); 31(15513.21); 33 (15513.25); 35 (15513-24); 37 (1551317) (pl- 27); 40 (1551314); 41 (15513-26); 43 (15513.18); 50 (15513.23?); 52 (1551313); 54 (15513-20); 56 (15513.16) (pl. 25); 57 (1551319) (pi. 28); 59 (15513.22) (pl. 31); 62 (15514.24); 70* (I55i4.5)(pl. 40); 72(15514.7) (pl. 41); 73 or 74(15514.10); 76(15514.1 i)(pl. 47); 80(15514.9); 81 (I55i4.8)(pl. 45); 83(15514.6); 84 (15514-18) (pl. 54); 88*/4 (15514?); 88*/5 (15514.20) (pi. 60); 88*/6 (155H-21); 88*/7 (15514.15); 88*/io (15514.19); 88*/ii (15514.10?); 89 (15514.25); 94 (15513-27) (pl- 33); 95 (15514-28) (pi. 67); 96 (15514.24); 97 (15513-28) (pl. 34); 99 (15514-27) (pl. 67); 100 (15514.26) (pl. 66); 103 (15513.29) (pl. 35); 114 (15514.38); 115 (15514.36.?) (pl. 77); 117 (15514.37); 123 (15514.29) (pl, 71); 125 (15514.32) (pl. 72); 127 (15514.30); 131 (I55i4.i6)(pl. 51); 137(15514.40); 138(15514.43); 139(15514.41); 140(15514.45); 141 (15514.44?); 142 (15514.47); 143 (15514.46); 144 (15514.49); 145 (15514.48); 146 (15514.53); 148(15514.55); 152(15514.51); 156(15514.54); 157(15514.50); 159(15514.56 and 57).

The result is that seventy drawings listed in the Catalogue can be identified with drawings in the Admiralty volumes. If links cannot be found for the remaining twenty-one drawings in the volumes, this is in some cases because there is too little detail in the catalogue titles to distinguish between drawings similar to each other. Furthermore the volumes contain a considerable number of coastal profiles which, as has been remarked before, were not included in tbe Catalogue, probably because of tbeir specialist interest. Webber may have delivered these hydrographical aids as a separate group of works,-' and they may later have become mixed in witb the main collection. Then finally there are at least a couple of drawings which seem to have been added to the Admiralty collection after the Catalogue had been compiled.^ Having identified seventy drawings listed in the Catalogue, there remain another hundred or so for which one must search elsewhere, for the drawings in the Admiralty volumes represent only some of the drawings listed. There are other collections containing drawings by Webber wbich must be considered. There are four water-colour drawings of particularly large size in the Naval Library at tbe Ministry of Defence, and in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, which were also formerly in the possession ofthe Admiralty, and which the Admiralty did not include in its donation 62 to the British Museum in 1843 (perhaps because they did not fit into the portfolio). These are: 'An interview between Capt. Cook and the Natives of Van Diemen's Land' (Naval Library), The Resolution and Discovery in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, 16 February 1777', 'Tbe Resolution and Discovery in Nootka Sound, April i778\ and 'Capt. Cook's Interview witb the Natives of Tschutzki' (National Maritime Museum). These works extend to between 38^ and 58 inches in width and are therefore of'roll' size; I have little doubt that these are the drawings referred to in the Catalogue under nos. 8, 12, 71, and 130. A search for the Webber drawings listed in tbe Catalogue must also take in collections overseas, especially those in Australia and in the United States of America. Drawings to be found in such collections present many of the same features as those in the Admiralty volumes in the British Library: many of them are similarly signed and dated; they conform to the two basic size categories; some of tbem still possess pencil numbers on tbeir top corners;-^ several can be identified as models for engraved illustrations in Cook's Voyage. A list of identifications, on the same lines as that already given for Add, MSS. 15513, 15514, reads as follows: National Library of Australia, Canberra: 66 (NK 52 A) (pl. 43); 85 (NK 52 D) (pl. 73); in (NK 52 G) (pl. 78); 112 (NK 52 F) (pl. 76); 113 (NK 52E) (pl. 75); 117 (NK 6738 C); 119 (NK 52 C) (pl. 70); 154(NK 52 M); i55(NK52L);i58(NK52K). Dixson Library, Sydney: 6 (Pf. 55) (pl. 8); 16 (Pe. 215); 17 (Pf. 53); 19 (Pf. 52); 23 (Pf. 54) (pl. 16); 34 (Pf- 50) (pl. 26); 45 (Pf. 56); 46 (Pf. 57) (pl. 29); 60 (Pe. 212) (pl. II). Bernice P. Bisbop Museum, Honolulu: 90 (?A Tattooed Hawaiian); 91 (A Sailing Canoe); 93 (Dancers) (pl. 62); 98 (Canoe with Masked Rowers) (pl. 69); 102 (Boxing Match); 107 (An Offering before Capt. Cook) (pl. 60); 108 (King Tereoboo bringing presents) (pl. 61). Peabody Museum of Arcbaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University: 65 (41-72/496); 67 (41-72/499) (pl. 42); 68 (41-72/500); 69 (41-72/497); 70 (41-72/498) (pi. 39); 77 (41-72/502) (pl. 46); 82 (41-72/501); 87 (41-72/508); 88*/i (41-72/505) (pl. 58); 88*/2 (41-72/504) (pl- 49); 88*/3 (41-72/503) (pl- 48); 88*/9 (41-72/507) (pl- 57)- Peabody Museum, Salem: 53 (M 12464); 55 (M 12465); 86 (M 12463); 126 (M 12466). Apart from tbese major collections tbere are other institutions which possess a number of Webber drawings, like tbe Sir Jobn Soane Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Royal Ontario Museum, but it is uncertain if any of these drawings figure in the Catalogue}^ We bave more positive evidence, however, in the case of a drawing representing a 'Canoe off Mangaia' which appeared on the market in the summer of 1977 and which 63 has the number 6i pencilled clearly on its upper left corner.^' In all, about 115 drawings in the Catalogue can be identified in existing collections, and among them the originals for fifty-two of the sixty-one drawings engraved in Cook's Voyage. From what has been said, it can be surmised that all drawings listed in the Catalogue, however scattered they are today, originate from one source, the Admiralty collection. It would appear that the collection was divided and subjected to change probably before 1843, wben tbe two (perhaps remaining) portfolios were presented to the British Museum. Why, and precisely when this occurred is not clear. It is interesting that both the drawings in the Peabody Museum at Harvard and in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum at Honolulu have a common provenance, and at one time belonged to Sir Archibald Campbell, Governor of New Brunswick 18317, Unfortunately it is not known when and where he acquired them, but after they had been with his descendants until the beginning of the present century, they were purchased by the London antiquarian bookseller Francis Edwards and were sold by him to overseas collectors in the early i92os.^- At about the same time other drawings, apparently from the Campbell collection, reached Australia.^^ It is possible that Edwards at one time owned all those drawings from Cook's third voyage which were not in the Admiralty volumes and his dispersal of them would explain why they are so scattered today. It is fortunate that the contents ofthe original collection can be partially reconstructed (at least in theory) with the aid of Webber's Catalogue.

There remains one more collection of drawings by John Webber to be considered; this is an album preserved in the Dixson Library, Sydney, numbered PXX2, which contains forty-six drawings, forty of which are by Webber himself.^** Ofthe drawings by Webber two are copies of others in the album; the remaining thirty-eight are each similar to an illustration in Cook's Voyage. They are each, furthermore, smaller versions of drawings by Webber which are to be found elsewhere.^'' However, it is significant that there are many minor points of difference between the smaller works in the album and tbe larger drawings, whereas the engraved illustrations and these small works seem to be much closer to each other. The two versions ofthe 'Human Sacrifice at Tahiti' in the British Library (Add. MS. 15513.16) and the Dixson Library (PXX2.10) illustrate this point (figs. 2 and 3). There are minor but significant alterations in the Dixson Library version, particularly in tbe group of people on the right—for example in the figure of the native pointing to the sacrifice—and in the distribution of shade and light; these alterations are found in an identical form in Woollett's engraving ofthe scene^^ (fig. 4). To quote another example, the Bernice P. Bishop Museum owns the drawing of'Hawaiian men dancing' (Webber's Catalogue, no. 93). Represented among tbe four dancers is one man in a central position wbo is distinguished by tbe energetic movement of bis arms and legs.^' The drawing in the Dixson Library (PXX2.36) repeats only this figure and thus anticipates the composition ofthe engraved illustration.^^ But not only are the thirty-eight drawings in the Dixson Library album strikingly similar to the engravings in Cook's Voyage, they are also remarkable for their careful execution, and for their meticulous attention to detail and colouring. But before we discuss why there should be another, smaller series of drawings matching

Ftg. J. John Webber, Human Sacrifice at Tahiti. Dixson Library, Sydney, PXX2.10 tbe engravings, it is necessary to examine the provenance of these drawings. The history ofthe album seems to be unrecorded. It is, however, known that in 1920 these drawings were offered for sale by Maggs Brothers in London,-*^ and an undated inscription on the inner cover ofthe album adds the information that at one time it was owned by Colnaghi's at Cockspur Street. But most probably the best clue can be found in tbe drawings themselves. As has been mentioned earlier, six ofthe drawings in this volume are not by Webber. Two of them 'A view ofthe Indians of Terra del Fuego in their but' (fol. 43) and 'A View of tbe inside of a bouse in tbe Island of Ulietea' (fol. 14) are subjects from Cook's first voyage and were drawn by Giovanni Battista Cipriani after first-hand sketches by Alexander Buchan and Sydney Parkinson, the artists who accompanied Joseph Banks on that voyage. Anotber drawing representing a 'War canoe of New Zealand' (fol. 15), is also taken from a sketch by Parkinson and signed 'J. Barralet'. Barralet is known to have copied and modified for publication otber drawings by Parkinson from Cook's first voyage, like the 'View of Matavai Bay from One-Tree Hill, Otaheite'. His and Parkinson's versions are kept in the British Library as Add. MSS. 15508.4 and 23921.6. It is important to note that the latter two manuscript volumes in the British Library come from the library of Sir Joseph Banks and were bequeathed to the British Museum at his death. As the artists' patron during Cook's first voyage around the world. Banks 'inherited' all drawings by them both when they died on the voyage. After his return to England Banks employed a number of artists to redraw and work up some of tbe drawings and sketches which Parkinson and other people had produced; one ofthe artists wbo did this work for him was Barralet. Seen against this background one may assume that Barralet's drawing of

66 o o U o <"^ ^«3

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67 a New Zealand canoe in the Dixson Library was probably copied for Banks too. Is it therefore possible tbat Banks was the earliest owner of the whole volume in the Dixson Library? This hypothesis can be confirmed to some extent, but in order to do so it is necessary to examine—if only briefly—some other documents which are preserved in the National Library of Australia. Tbey are concerned with the preparation ofthe plates for Cook's Voyage, and they are all to be found among the Banks Papers. These are (1) a 'General List of Plates numbered for Publication' (referred to as ist plate-list); (2) an 'Account of Drawings with agreements for engraving them' (referred to as 2nd plate-list); (3) an 'Account of Engravings for the Publication of Capt. Cook's 3rd Voyage' (referred to as 3rd plate-list); (4) an untitled list of the engravings in the publication (referred to as 4th plate-list).'**' These lists are of considerable interest and importance as tbey document the various stages from the early selection of the drawings for the plates up to a point when they were ready for publication. The ist plate-Iist is in Webber's hand; it bears an additional sub-title: 'A List ofthe Drawings & Charts to be engraved, with the order in which the plates should be numbered agreeable to the Narrative' (fig. 5); it runs to eighty entries and amalgamates charts and pictorial representations. Basically speaking it follows the earlier Catalogue but shows some remarkable differences in point of chronology. For example it modifies the Catalogue's outline by dividing the group of drawings from the Sandwich Islands into two sections, thus reflecting the fact that two visits were made there. Other alterations of this kind also tend to restore the principle of strict chronology, so that the order ofthe drawings is 'agreeable to the Narrative'. This evidence implies that the list was drawn up at a time when the shape and extent of the intended publication had already been decided; this was probably some time early in 1781. Plate- list no. 2 may have been drawn up at tbe same time (fig. 6). Though it is written in a different hand, its composition is very similar to the first list. Apart from a few minor replacements, the sequence of the entries and the method of listing the drawings under their respective geographical place-names have been retained. A new feature is that the names of the engravers for the illustrations have been added. Altogether twenty-five names are given, among them such distinguished ones as Bartolozzi, Sharpe, Sherwin, and Woollett. Attached to their names, but certainly written at a later date, are the fees paid to them; these range from 3 guineas for Woodyer's engraving of 'A Sledge' to £157. 105. od. for Woollett's 'Human Sacrifice at Otaheite'. In passing one might draw attention to the considerable value of this table as a record of engravers' prices at about 1780, hoping that it may some time receive some more detailed examination from this point of view. The list also gives the various dates when the engravers received their drawings and when they returned them. It seems that as a rule the drawings were handed out separately, and I suspect that because of the value and uniqueness of the drawings, the engraver was only given his original when he was free to work on it; he probably returned it together with the finished plate. Unfortunately not every date on the list includes the year; mostly only the day and month are given, which makes this evidence somewhat difficult to use. However, the earliest date to be found is 'April 81', wben Bartolozzi received tbe water-colour of a 'Girl bringing a present'. April 1781 can thus be regarded

68 A,^.-/-/ ^^''''••'

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Fig. 6. Account of Drawings with agreements for engraving them. National Library of Australia, MS. 9/28 (Banks Papers), first page as a terminus ante quern for the final choice of which drawings were to be engraved. The full title ofthe 3rd plate-list reads: 'Sir Joseph Banks's List of M": Webber's Drawings & Capt. King's List ofthe Charts & Sketches, blended together, and arranged + numbered in the Order proposed for the Publication.' This list basically echoes the previous ones but shows minor changes, for example by eliminating the drawing which had been originally intended as tbe frontispiece. Because of tbis, all numbers have been altered by one and now coincide with the illustration numbers in Cook's Voyage. Also tbe earlier geographical place-names are now replaced by references to the respective volume into which the plates are to go. Presumably this list was drawn up when the publication of Cook's Voyage was imminent. Consequently it should be dated early 1784. The 4th plate-list lacks a proper title. It is as much a table as a list and consists of two folio pages (fig. 7). Cleanly written in a hand which may be Banks's, this list reflects the final completion of the engravings (leaving out the charts) and gives the impression of being a finalsummar y ofthe production work. Individual columns are ruled for the titles, plate-numbers, engravers' names, and fees. Of particular interest are another two columns which refer to 'original drawings' and 'reduced drawings'. These are marked with ticks, so that almost every title has been ticked twice, meaning tbat for every illustration there were two different drawings, one in the original size and the other one reduced.-" The ticks are most likely nothing but checking marks, but their implication is important: there were two series of drawings for the illustrations of Cook's Voyage, of which one, in smaller format, was the copy ofthe other. This throws light upon the series of small-size copies in the Dixson Library. Since they have been seen to correspond in detail with the plates in the official account of the voyage, they clearly must be regarded as tbe models from which the engravers worked. When it was known which of the original drawings would be going into the publication, Webber reworked them for the engraver. This theory is confirmed by Webber's own words in the letter to his Swiss friend from which I have already quoted. Webber says: 'I am presently engaged in producing the drawings for the engravings, of whicb sixty- three [!] are to be issued, those I hope to complete in one and a half year's time.'^- The strongest reason for doing a new series was probably that the original drawings differed widely in size and were therefore difficult to handle. In producing another series Webber added finish to his earlier works and created a group of drawings which fitted the require- ments ofthe engravers,^^ If we bear in mind tbat the Dixson Library volume also included drawings by Cipriani and Barralet after sketches of Banks's artists Buchan and Parkinson, there is very good reason to believe that the whole volume came from Banks's library. Banks is known to have been a keen collector of visual records of the voyages of Captain Cook, and he may have wanted to possess an original set of drawings in Webber's hand. As the producer of the publication, he was in a position to arrange this. In dealing with Webber's Catalogue and with the documents relating to the publication ofthe third voyage I have confined myself so far to the drawings. However, the Catalogue also lists a number of oils. Since a few of them seem also to have served as models for illustrations something must be said about them. Plate 18 in Cook's Voyage represents 'Poulaho, King of tbe Friendly Islands'. Tbe portrait of the king shows a fattish young man of about v' ^ /

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Fig. 7, Untitled list of engravings used in the publication of Cook's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1784), National Library of Australia, MS. 9/29 (Banks Papers), first page 30 to 40 years old, whose head is adorned with a large semicircular-shaped bonnet. Cook mentions tbis in his journal: 'These caps or ratber bonnets are made of tbe tail feathers of the Tropic bird witb the red feathers ofthe Paroquets worked upon them or in along with tbem, they are made so as to tie upon the forehead without any Crown and have the form of a Semicircle whose radius is 18 or 20 Inches; But a painting [my italics] which Mr. Webber bas made of Fattafee Polaho dressed in one of these bonnets will convey the best idea of tbem.''^^ The passage thus quoted was of sufficient interest to demand a separate illustration, particularly as Tropic Birds were involved, in which there was a curious interest in England at tbe time. There is, however, no portrait of Poulaho mentioned amongst the drawings; instead it figures among the 'Portraits in Oyl Colours' under the title of'Powlehow King ofthe Friendly Islands wearing a Cap of Ceremony'. The emphasis placed upon the bonnet and Cook's mention ofthe painting both suggest the identification and makes it likely that this picture served as the model for the engraved illustration. This idea is corroborated by a peculiarity in the 4th plate-list. There the column referring to 'original drawings' is not ticked for this illustration, but shows a capital O instead. This symbol could simply mean that no drawing ofthe sitter existed, or, more likely, it could stand for an oil painting. There are more examples of this symbol in the column of'original drawings' and these refer to 'A Man of Nootka Sound' (no. 38), a 'Young Woman of Sandwich Islands' (no. 63), 'A Man of Kamtchatka' (no. 75), and 'A Woman of Kamtchatka' (no. 76). It is probably no coincidence that these entries refer to portraits whose sitters are all listed amongst the oil paintings in Webber's Catalogue. It is thus clear that not only drawings but also paintings were chosen as models for the illustrations of Cook's Voyage. It is unfortunate that none of these paintings can be located with certainty today.^^ To sum up, it has been my intention in this article to publish and comment upon a document in the possession ofthe National Library of Australia which relates to Cook's third voyage. It is an inventory ofthe works which John Webber, as official artist on tbe expedition, executed and delivered to the Admiralty under the terms of his commission. It is possible to identify about 115 ofthe 192 works listed in this Catalogue with drawings by Webber wbicb can be located today; most of tbem are in Add, MSS. 15513, 15514 in the British Library. Webber reworked in smaller format tbose of bis drawings which were to be used as illustrations in the official account of the voyage and thirty-eight of these reworked versions are to be found in an album in tbe Dixson Library in Sydney. Now tbat Webber's official South Sea wuvre has been established as a distinct group of drawings and paintings, further discussion of the many different states which occur amongst his drawings, sketches, and paintings, which either preceded or followed the drawings for the Admiralty, is required. Indeed all Webber's works emanating from Cook's voyage await a more detailed and comprehensive discussion than the framework of the present article will allow.

73 I would like to thank most cordially Miss Margaret this volume, particularly those from Switzerland Murphy of the National Library of Australia, —for example the two water-colours of the Le Canherra, both for drawing to my attention the Nan Darpenaz fall (fol, 58 and fol. 59)—could manuscripts discussed in this paper and for her be tied in with drawings which Sir Henry untailing assistance during the period of its composi- Englefield, an amateur artist and perhaps an tion. It is also a pleasure lo extend my gratitude to admirer of Webber, bought at the sale, but there Mr, Hugh Cobbe, Assistant Keeper in the Depart- is not enougb evidence to conclude that the ment of Manuscripts in the British Library, for his volume Add. MS. 17277 was formerly his. invaluable help and in particular for assistance with 6 'Ninety drawings, some in Indian Ink, some my English prose. Figures i, 5, 6, and 7 are repro- coloured,, executed by J. Webber, during the duced from the original in the E, A. Petherick third voyage of Captain Cook in the South Collection, National Library of Australia, Seas . . . contained in two large Portfolios, Presented in 1843, by the Lords Commissioners 1 Martin Hardie, Water-Colour Painting in Britain. of the Admiralty', Catalogue of Additions to the I. The Eighteenth Century^ reprinted edition MSS. in the British Museum in the years (London, 1969), 236. MDCCCXLI-MDCCCXLV (London, 1850). 2 Professor Bernard Smith is, however, not guilty See p. 14 for 1845 (the two portfolios were first under this general verdict. See Bernard Smith, sent to the Print Room of the British Museum, European Vision and the South Pacific {Oxford, but on 5 Apr. 1845 they were transferred to the i960), in particular pp. 76-9, Department of Manuscripts), 3 During the years 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1789, 7 Letters relating to Webber's commission as the and 1791 Webber exhibited twenty-three paint- artist to accompany the expedition are now at ings whose subject-matter was derived from the Public Record Office, Adm. 2/735, 3"<^ ^re scenes from Captain Cook's third voyage. referred to in J, C. Beaglehole, The Journals of 4 This volume is described (without the name of Captain James Cook on his Voyages of Discovery. the vendor being given),, in the Catalogue of The Voyage ofthe Resolution and Discovery 1776- Additions to the MSS. in the British Museum iySo (Cambridge, 1967), pt. 2, p. 1507. in the Years MDCCCXLVI-MDCCCXLVII 8 James Cook and James King, A Voyage to the (London, 1864),, 383. The manuscript note on Pacific Ocean. Undertaken by Command of His the first page ofthe volume reads 'Purchased of Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern H, Bohn 13 Nov, 1847', The person referred to Hemisphere. Performed . . . in His Majesty's Ships is perbaps tbe famous collector, publisher, and the Resolution and Discovery in the Years 7776, bookseller Henry George Bohn (1796-1884), lyy/, ^77^, ^779-> ^"^ 1780. 3 vols. (London, who was known for purchasing and selling rare 1784). Added to this edition is an Atlas of Plates and valuable books. and Maps. 5 There is also a small sheet of paper stuck on the 9 This is Add. MS, 15514.58, a water-colour first page of the volume with the following drawing representing Table Mountain at the inscription: 'All the drawings in this book are Cape of Good Hope. It is signed and dated by Mr. Webber, July 26 1793', followed by some 'S. Davis 1780' (or 1786). One John Davis was undecipherable initials. The inscription may quartermaster on the Resolution but there are refer to a collection of drawings which could have no other drawings known by him. been acquired at Webber's sale at Christie's on 10 MS. 9/140. See Sir Joseph Banks, A Guide to his 14 and 15 June 1793. A comparison between the Papers in the National Library of Australia (type- drawings in Add. MS. i~}2-}-} and those drawings script issued by the Manuscript Branch, which are referred to in A Catalogue of the Reference Division, National Library of Genuine and Valuable Collection of Drawings and Australia, Canberra, 1963), p. 19, no. 140. I am Prints . . . late the Property of the Ingenious Mr. greatly indebted to the National Library of John Webber., R. A.... which will be sold by auction Australia for allowing me to publish this and by Mr. Christie (London, 1793) would make this other documents in the Banks Papers (see conceivable. But it is very difficult to decide below). which buyer's collection the drawings in this 11 For Banks's correspondence see Warren R. volume could represent. Several of the views in Dawson (ed.). The Banks Letters (London,

74 passim, but particularly pp. 617-19, part of a collection of Australians which E. A, 862. Petherick donated to the Australian Common- 12 There are other manuscripts and autograph wealth in 1911 (this information was kindly statements at the National Library of Australia. supplied by Miss C. Santamaria, Manuscript See the typescript guide to the Banks Papers, Librarian in the National Library of Australia, in particular MS. 9/28, 29, 30 (p, 4). in a letter of 27 Apr. 1977). It is not quite clear 13 From Webber s letter to his friend and relative where E. A, Petherick may have acquired these Funk in Berne: 'Ich habe nahe an zweyhundert papers, but he might have done so at the sale of Zeichnungen mitgebracht, eine bedeutende Banks's collection of correspondence and docu- Anzahl Bildnisse in Oel ungerechnet,' Printed ments at Sotheby's in 1886. in Siebenzehntes Neujahrsstiick herausgegeben von 19 Teneriffe is not represented in the Catalogue der Kiinstler-Gesellschaft m Zurich auf das Jahr perhaps because Cook had already on 28 Nov. 1821. Enthaltend das Leben des Malers Johann 1776 sent a painting ofthat island to the Admiralty Weber in Bern (Zurich, 1821), 9. as a specimen of Webber's skills. Cook wrote 14 It contains forty-six natural-history drawings then from the Cape of Good Hope: 'A painting which Webber gave or sold to Banks and has the which he [Webber] made of S^ Cruz in the press-mark i99*b.2. For thirty-eight bird draw- Island of Teneriffe I have left with Mr, Brand of ings among them see Averil Lysaght, 'Some this place to be forwarded to their Lordships by Eighteenth Century Bird Paintings in the Library the first safe opportunity.' See J. C. Beaglehole, of Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820)', Bulletin ofthe op, cit., pt, 2, p. 1523. British Museum Natural History Historical Series, 20 This spelling differs from Cook's. Cook gives vol. I, no. 6 (London, 1959), pp. 255-7, 262, its name as Mangia-nooe-nai-naiwa. Another and 339-44. Lysaght is probably correct in say- version used among Webber's fellow voyagers ing that 'the paintings of birds and fishes made was Mangaia-nui-neneva. See ibid,, pt, i, p. 80. by Webber on this voyage may have been part of 21 Cook says the island was called by its inhabitants a larger series that was broken up for some Wautieu. See ibid., p. 87. reason' (p. 339). There are another two drawings 22 Cook had visited these three small islands of birds in Add. MS. 17277 (not mentioned in between 30 Mar. and 6 Apr. 1777, whereas he Lysaght); the fact tbat only a few animals are stayed at the Society Islands from 12 Aug. to listed in the Catalogue also supports the view 29 Sept. 1777, that the original number of natural-history 2T, Under Norton Sound is also found a drawing of drawings by Webber may have been larger than a white bear. As far as I can see no bears were the sum of those which can still be traced. seen during the first voyage into tbe Arctic 15 Cook, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean., i (London, Ocean. This occurred about a year later, on 1784), 5, 'And that we migbt go out with every 19 July 1779, when the ships approached Icy help that could serve to make the result of our Cape for the second time. voyage entertaining to the generality of our 24 Examples ofthe portfolio size: no. 4 (A portrait readers, as well as instructive to the sailor and of a woman of Van Diemen's Land) (Add, MS, scholar, Mr. Webber was pitched upon and 15513.5), measuring 18^ x 12^ in., and no. 88*/5 engaged to embark with me, for the express (Caps worn at particular ceremonies) (Add. purpose of supplying the unavoidable imper- MS. 15514.20), which measures 14I A 21^ in. fections of written accounts, by enabling us to In general, drawings which did not exceed 15 in. preserve, and to bring home, such drawings of in height and 21^ in. in width were kept in a the most memorable scenes of our transactions, portfolio. On the other hand larger drawings as could only be executed by a professional and (such as no. 2, a view of Christmas harbour skilful artist'. (Add, MS. 15513.3), which measures 16 W.R.Dawson,op, cit., p. 617. Webber mentioned 194 "" 25^ in,) were rolled up, his presentation to the King with some satis- 25 For example the drawing at Add. MS. 15513.12, faction in his letter to his Swiss friend Funk, which represents a young woman with loose Siebenzehntes Neujahrsstiick, 9. flowing hair and bare breasts from the island of 17 W. R. Dawson, op, cit., p. 617. Eaoo (Eua) is mistakenly described on the lower 18 The Banks Papers to which this article refers are mount as 'Woman of Sandwich Island'.

75 2() This view is reproduced in J, C, Beaglehole, 32 Webber's drawings now in the Peabody Museum op. cit., pt, 1, pl. (>3, Beaglehole, however, (Harvard University) were previously owned by incorrectly identified this view as 'The village David I. Bushnell, who bought the drawings ot Petropavlovsk, Avacha Bay', A comparison from Francis Edwards in 1925. He states that with pl. 74 in Cook's Voyage showing 'A View 'the twelve drawings , . , are believed to have ot the Town and the Harbour of St, Peter and belonged to the Admiralty [no source of this St, Paul in Kamtchatka' reveals important dis- belief is given]. Later they were owned by Sir crepancies in topography, William [!] Campbell, who was Governor of 27 Those of the coastal views among the drawings New Brunswick, 1831-1835 [!] from whom they in Add, MS. 15514, which are well finished and passed to his descendents'; see David I. Bushnell, of good quality, bear also old pencil numbers, 'Drawings by John Webber of Natives of the which may indicate that they were listed in Northwest Coast of America, 1778', Smithsonian a different catalogue. The numbers are: Miscellaneous Collections, vo!, 80 (Apr. 1928), I (15514.2a); 2 (ibid. I); 3 (2b); 4 (3a); 5 (3b); no. 10, p. 2. Some years before Bushnell another 6 (12a); 7 (13a); 8 (12b); 9 (i2c); 10 (13b); collector, the Honolulu resident Mr. Spencer Bickerton, had bought eight drawings of 15(333^ h); 16(39). Hawaiian subject-matter from Francis Edwards 28 One of these is a water-colour drawing of Cape and in turn sold these to the Bernice P. Bishop Town (see n. 9). Another one was apparently Museum in 1922. Concerning the authenticity later added by Webber himself, this being 'A View of the drawings, Francis Edwards wrote at the near Macao' (.') (Add. MS. 15514.42) which is time: 'Sir Archibald Campbell (ist Baronet), signed and dated 1783 (!). Governor of New Brunswick, acquired these 29 Margaret Murphy of the National Library of pictures during his Governorship of N.B,, Australia kindly informs me that some of their 1831 -1837. They were brought home to Webber drawings, sucb as NK 52 A, L, M bear Gibliston, Fifeshire, the Scottish home of the pencil numbers which confirm their links with Campbell Family, and there they remained till catalogue entries 66, 154, 155. I am also indebted recently, when Sir Everard lm Thurn, who was to Mrs, Cynthia Timberlake of the Bernice P, visiting Sir Wm, Campbell (4tb Baronet) pointed Bishop Museum for writing to me that 'the out to him their value and suggested that I would Tattooed Hawaiian Man has a faint number be a proper person to buy them' (kind com- 96 , , , in upper right corner. The Sailing Canoe munication of Mrs. C, Timberlake, Bernice P. appears to have a 9/ in upper left corner' (letter Bishop Museum, letter of 13 May 1977). of 13 May 1977), It must be added, bowever, that the drawing of a Hawaiian man in Add. MS. }!, They were acquired by Sir William Dixson who 15514,24 also bears a number wbicb looks like 96, later bequeathed them to the Dixson Library, On the other hand it is known tbat the man in the Sydney. The drawings numbered Pe. 210, 212, Bishop Museum represents a native of Atooi, so 213, 215 and Pf. 53, 54 bear an old endorsement: that this drawing would fit no, 90 in tbe Catalogue; 'Capt. Campbell'. it is possible therefore that the number on this 34 The titles ofthe drawings in this album are listed drawing is in fact 90, in the Bibliography of Captain James Cook, 30 The 'View in Nootka Sound' in the Soane National Library of New South Wales, 2nd edn. Museum, signed and dated 1778 and measuring (Sydney, 1970), 359-61. 16J ^^ 24^ in., may in fact be one ofthe views in 35 The majority of these drawings measure about Ship Cove which the Catalogue mentions as 8 X 15 in. There is also a smaller category of about nos, 73 and 74, The 'View in Prince William 7 X 9 in, according to the subject represented. Sound' in the Royal Ontario Museum cannot be 36 Pl. 25 in the Atlas to Cook's Voyage to the placed, while the Victoria & Albert Museum's Pacific Ocean (1784). drawing of'A View near Macao' (?), signed and 37 Reproduced in J. C. Beaglehole, op. cit., pt. i, dated 1786 is clearly after the date of the pi. 60a. Catalogue. 38 Pl. 62 in the Atlas to Cook's Voyage. 31 Sold at Christie's 14 June 1977 (lot 3). It 39 Apparently there are no records available in the measures i2| - 18^ in., and is signed and dated Dixson Library. Miss Suzanne Mourot of the 1777- Mitchell Library kindly informs me that the only 76 clue to the acquisition ofthe volume could imply kept together in the album in the Dixson Library, 'that Dixson may have acquired it in about 1929 Other copies of drawings intended for illustra- in Sydney' (letter 21 Mar. 1977). But see Maggs tion can be found in the National Library of Brothers, Catalogue no. 398 (London, 1920), Australia (for example NK 52 H being a smaller item no, 712: 'Webber: A most interesting version of NK 52 G), the Peabody Museum at collection of 46 watercolour drawings made by Harvard (41-72/506 being a smaller replica of this artist who accompanied Captain Cook on 41-72/507), or the British Library (Add, MS, his third and last voyage . . .'. The titles ofthe 17277.19 being a smaller version of 15514.5). drawings are individually given on pp. 115, Why or when these drawings were dispersed is 116 ofthe catalogue. not known, 40 See the typescript of the Banks Papers in the 44 J. C. Beaglehole, op. cit., pt. i, p, 117. National Library of Australia (op, cit.): (i) MS. 45 An exception may be the oil portrait of'Pocdua 9/29; (2) MS. 9/28; (3) MS. 9/29; (4) MS. 9/29. the Kings Daughter of Ulaietea' (no, 7 in the 41 It is interesting to note, however, that for the Catalogue of the oils). A painting of this young 'Man of Mangea' tbe place in the column which woman is now kept in the National Maritime signifies the reduced drawings has been left Museum, Greenwich, following transfer from blank. This drawing apparently no longer the Admiralty (see Admiralty Catalogue (London, existed when the table was prepared. The 2nd 1911), p. 6, no. 51). A copy ofthat portrait is plate-list had noted in the appropriate place: in the possession of the National Library of 'Drawing destroyed by Mr. Webber.' Australia (NK 5192). Another portrait of an 42 Siebenzehntes Neujahrsstiick herausgegeben von unidentified sitter, a native of Otaheite, is owned der Kiinstler-Gesellschaft in Ziirich (Zurich, by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; it was 1821), 9. bequeathed to the museum by Daniel Mesman 43 There is no real explanation for the fact that only in 1834 (kind communication by Mrs. Frances A. thirty-eight drawings of reduced size have been Lee, letter 7 Dec. 1976),