Easter Island - a fascinating account by Captain James Cook

The Hull History Centre is fortunate enough to have all THREE voyages of Captain James Cook. This includes three volumes relating to Cook’s circumnavigation of the globe [published in 1773], two volumes relating to Cook’s voyage towards the South Pole [published 1777] and three volumes relating to Cook’s voyages in the Pacific Ocean published in 1785.

As a way of celebrating Easter, we thought it was fitting to highlight the visit to Easter Island by Captain Cook and his crew in March 1774.  The first recorded European contact with Easter Island took place on 5 April 1722 and since it was Easter Sunday, the Island was named after the religious day by Dutch navigator, Jacob Roggiveen.

Captain James Cook wrote in his journal that:

“At eight in the morning, on the 11^th, land was seen, from the masthead, bearing west, and at noon from the deck, extending from W.3/4N. to W. by S., about twelve leagues distant.  I made no doubt that this was Davis’s Land, or Easter Island; as it appearance from this situation, corresponded very well with Wafer’s account: and we expected to have seen the low sandy isle that Davis fell in with, which would have been a confirmation; but in this we were disappointed” [Image 1]

Image 1 - Location of Easter Island

Captain Cook was not well enough to visit the Island himself so sent others onto the Island instead.  On the first afternoon, Cook noted that:

“In the afternoon, we got on board a few casks of water, and opened a trade with the natives for such things as they had to dispose of.  Some of the gentleman also made an excursion into the country to see what it produced; and returned again in the evening, with the loss of only a hat, which one of the natives snatched off the head of one of the party.

Early next morning, I sent Lieutenants Pickersgill and Edgecumbe with a party of men, accompanied by several of the gentleman, to examine the country.  As I was not sufficiently recovered by my late illness to make one of the party, I was obliged to content myself with remaining at the landing-place among the natives”

Of the indigenous population, it was noted that there were only about six to seven hundred inhabitants, of which two-thirds were men.  However this could have been due to the females refraining from “making their appearance, during our stay: for though we saw nothing to induce us to believe the men were of a jealous disposition, or the women afraid to appear in public”

Tattooing of the skin was also included in the account –

“Tattowing, or puncturing of the skin, is much used here.  The men are marked from head to foot, with figures all nearly alike: only some give them one direction, and some another, as fancy lead.  The women are but little puncture; red and white paint is an ornament with them, also with the men; the former is made of turmeric, but what compose the latter I know not”

Two incredible images are included in the account – one titled – “Man of Easter Island” and the second titled – “Woman of Easter Island” [Images 2 and 3] 

Image 2 - Man of Easter Island

Image 3 - Woman of Easter Island

These two images illustrate some of the hand-written accounts of the locals included in this volume -

Their hair in general is black; the women wear it long, and sometimes tied up on the crown of the head; but the men wear it, and their beards, cropped short.  Their headdress is a round fillet adorned with feathers, and a straw bonnet something like a Scotch one; the former, I believe, being chiefly worn by the men, and the letter by the women.  Both men and women have very holes, or rather slits, in their ears, extending to near three inches in length.  They sometimes turn this slit over the upper part, and then the ear looks as if the flap was cut off.  The chief ear-ornaments are white down of feathers, and rings, which they wear in the inside of the hole, made of some elastic substance, rolled up like a watch-spring.  I judged this was to keep the hole at its utmost extension.  I do not remember seeing them wear any other ornaments, excepting amulets made of bone or shells”.

It is impossible not to get gripped and absorbed into the detailed and superbly illustrated accounts of all of Captain James Cook’s voyages and it is a real honour and privilege to have access to all three voyages at the Hull History Centre.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasures Project