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Story: Visitors’ opinions about New Zealand

'A war canoe of New Zealand'

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'A war canoe of New Zealand'

This engraving by R. B. Godfrey from a drawing by Sydney Parkinson, the artist on James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand, depicts Māori in an intricately carved war canoe. Although Cook recognised that Māori had a highly developed warrior tradition, he was impressed by their skills in agriculture, fishing and carving. He also found them generally hospitable to newcomers.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-111-001-2-a

by Sydney Parkinson

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Visitors’ opinions about New Zealand – Early visitors, 1769–1860, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/37094/a-war-canoe-of-new-zealand (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 23 May 2012.