Captain Cook's First Voyage 1768-1771
During their extended stay on the island, members of the crew of the Endeavor sought to broaden their knowledge of the Tahitian people and their culture. Joseph Banks received permission to participate in a funeral ceremony, and provided his perceptions of the activities in his journal.	The Chief Mourner Conducting the Funeral Ceremony (detail from View of the Island of Otaheite ) from An Account of the Voyages ... in the Southern Hemisphere ... by Captain Cook. Edited by John Hawkesworth. London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773.
The mystical presence of the Chief Mourner was intensified by his aureole headdress of feathers and breast gorget of mother-of-pearl. He uttered words of prayer near the body and led the participants in a procession after offerings were presented in the Tupapow.
Cook: Page 5 of 16. The first voyage.	back   next