Mystery of the Pacific Ocean

The Europeans' "discovery" of the Pacific Island began in the 16th century as they groped their way eastward from around the Cape of Good Hope, or westward from around Cape Horn.


But what they found were island cultures that had existed for a long time, complete with royal hierarchies and elaborate ceremonies: complex societies with long histories.


Captain Cook was one of the first to wonder: just how did they get there? And when?

The story of the first settlers of the Pacific Islands has gradually emerged, thanks to the efforts of many archaeologists, agronomists, oceanographers and even linguists. And of many present day Polynesian people who are delving into their past and recording information for the future generations of island people.


In this blog I will record what has been learned about these early explorers whom we now know began an extraordinary journey from Southern China, back in the Stone Age.


It's a story that has to be told.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Early depiction of the double hulled canoes.

Here is an old drawing dating from 1772-1774, showing double hulled canoes being sailed at the island of Ulietea, an island in the Society Islands group, just north west of Tahiti. The name of the island today is Uturea. The engraving was done by Edward Rooker from an original sketch by Sydney Parkinson, who was the artist for Captain Cook's voyages.
The double hull design of the great ocean going canoes is readily visible, thus Cook saw these voyaging canoes still in use after some fifteen hundred years after the Austronesian voyagers reached this area, and Parkinson recorded what he saw, with his usual eye for detail.

 Edward Rooker: A view in the island of Ulietea with a double canoe and a boathouse. 
Courtesy of National Library of Australia, Catalogue:  pic. an9184895 v.

The picture can be enlarged by double clicking upon it.
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