Nouvelle Calédonie

Cook's Second Voyage

Cook sighted the main island of New Caledonia on 5 September 1774, after his visit to the New Hebrides. He found the inhabitants very hospitable: 'No people could behave with more civility than they did'.

In 2002, Nouvelle Calédonie issued a single 505f stamp that shows a local ancient axe from Cook's visit. The islands have only released two other stamps featuring Cook, one in 1974 to do with the bicentenary of discovery, and a second one from a 1984 set featuring Pacific Artists.

Nouvelle Calédonie et Dépendances	04/09/1974	Discovery of Islands 5v SG539-543. The five values are 20f, 25f, 28f, 30f & 36f. The 20f stamp shows Cook, the Resolution and a map of the main island of New Caledonia.
Nouvelle Calédonie et Dépendances	09/11/1984	Pacific Artists 1v This 300f stamp shows a tapestry of Cook's discovery of New Caledonia.
Nouvelle Calédonie	20/03/2002	Definitive 1v 505f stamp showing an ancient axe from the time of Cook's visit in 1774.

Polynésie Française

Byron's Voyage

By the time the Dolphin and Tamar approached Polynesia, the crews were in a bad way from scurvy, and needed to land for fresh supplies. Landing on the first islands they reached proved impossible as the local inhabitants opposed any such landing with a show of arms. On account of this, Byron named these islands the Isles of Disappointment. He did manage to land on the islands of Takaroa and Takapoto a few days later, where the crew helped themselves to coconuts and other vegetables, having frightened the inhabitants out of sight. The final island they saw was Rangiroa atoll but they were unable to land.

Wallis's Voyage

Having found and named several of the Tuamotu group, Wallis's expedition was the first to visit Tahiti and the Society group. They spent about six weeks on the main island. At first, the encounters with the locals were hostile, but they were able to build the trust of the islanders. The tales they brought back of the life on the island fired the imagination of countless sailors since. Wallis had to impose strict rules on the crewmen, as the price for the affections of one of the local women was a nail, and very quickly the Dolphin was being pulled to pieces. After leaving Tahiti, they sailed northeast towards Tonga.

Carteret's Voyage

After sighting Pitcairn Island, the Swallow next came across land on 11/07/1767, when they sighted a low atoll in the Tuamoto group, but was not able to stop the ship. I think it may have been Muroroa, but the longitude figures that Carteret gives are about 3 degrees out, and this makes it difficult to be precise. The next day, they found two more atolls, the Duke of Gloucester Islands. The Swallow then sailed into the waters of the then unknown southern Cook Islands before heading through the northern group and then Tokelau and Tuvalu, all without sighting any land.

Cook's First Voyage

One of the main reasons for sending Cook out to the Pacific in the first place was to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun, on Saturday 3 June 1769, from newly discovered Tahiti.

The first land he sighted in the Pacific was in the Tuamotu Islands on 4 April 1769, which he toured again in August 1773. Cook visited Tahiti and Moorea a total of four times during the three voyages.

Cook's Second Voyage

On the second pacific tour of the second voyage, he also sailed to the Marquesas Islands. On all three voyages, he visited the Society Islands, in particular Huahine and Raietea.

Cook's Third Voyage

On the third voyage, he also visited Tubuai in the south of the present territory.

I am greatly indebted to the Captain Cook Study Unit and their checklist of stamps for the following information. Cook has been featured on a couple of sets in his own right. However several other stamps have been released over the years that draw upon the illustrations of Hodges and Weber, and others show artefacts from the voyages.

Establissements Français de l'Oceanie, the forerunner to Polynésie Française, released the first stamps in 1942, which feature the double canoe design by Hodges.

France Libre Oceanie	//1942	Free French Issue 14v These stamps all feature a double hulled Polynesian Travelling Canoe from an illustration by Hodges. The stamps were also released surcharged with new values in 1945. The design was also featured on a 51f Official stamp in 1994 (06/04/1994).
Polynésie Française	06/04/1968	Bicentenary of Discovery of Tahiti 3v & M/S(3v) The 40f stamp shows the Dolphin and a Tahitian Canoe. The 60f stamp shows the Endeavour and Mourning Robe from Cook's voyage.
Polynésie Française	28/04/1976	Pomare Dynasty 1v This 18f stamp shows King Pomare I, who met Cook on several occasions.
Polynésie Française	20/01/1978	Bicentenary of the Discovery of Hawaii 2v SG266-267. The 33f stamp shows Cook and the Discovery, the 39f stamp shows Cook and the Resolution. These two stamps were overprinted '1779-1979 Bicentenaire de la mort de ' (14/02/1979)
Polynésie Française	10/12/1981	18th Century Paintings 4v These four stamps show paintings from Cook's voyages. The 40f shows Matavai Bay by Hodges. The 60f shows Poedea Princess from Raiatea by Weber. The 80f shows Omai by Reynolds and the 120f shows Point Venus by Tobin.
Polynésie Française	05/09/1984	Ausipex 84 2x1v & M/S(1v) The two 120f stamps make up a composite detail picture of Weber's Human Sacrifice. The 200f miniature sheet shows the whole picture.
Polynésie Française	28/08/1986	Stockholmia 86 1v & M/S(1v) Both the 150f stamp and 210f miniature sheet show Sparrmann, Solander and Cook's map of Tahiti.
Polynésie Française	15/06/1987	Capex 87 1v & M/S(1v) The 130f stamp and 260f imperforate miniature sheet both show George Vancouver, who sailed on the third voyage.
Polynésie Française	14/10/1987	Polynesian Arms and Artefacts 3v The 25f stamp shows Flute, Pestle, Hatchet and Chisel from the first voyage. The 27f stamp shows Hatchet and Tattooing Tools again from the first voyage. The illustrations for these two stamps were taken from the Hawkesworth book. The 32f stamp shows Headdress, Ornaments and Club from the second voyage. The illustration came from Cook' 1777 book.
Polynésie Française	14/03/1990	Polynesian World 3v The 58f stamp shows Man helmeted Sandwich Island by Weber. The 59f stamp shows Man of Easter Island and Map by Hodges. The 63f stamp shows Man of New Zealand and Map by Hodges.
Polynésie Française	24/08/1990	New Zealand 1990 1v & M/S(1v) This 125f stamp and 230f miniature repeat the design from the earlier Polynesian World 63f. Hodges' Man of New Zealand.
Polynésie Française	13/03/1991	Polynesian World 2v These two stamps show pictures by Weber. The 84f shows Canoe of Hawaii, rowers masked. The 94f stamp shows Inside a Maori Village, Motuora.
Polynésie Française	17/06/1992	Polynesian World 2v These two stamps show more pictures by Weber. The 95f stamp shows a Dance at Otaheite. The 115f stamp shows Night Dance by Women in Tonga, Cook sits.
Polynésie Française	16/10/1992	6th Festival of Pacific Arts 1v This 65f stamp shows 'A View of Otaheite' by Parkinson.
Polynésie Française	14/10/2004	Celebrated People of Polynesia 1v This 250fr stamp features Omai, who accompanied Cook back to England.

Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises

Cook's Second Voyage

Cook tried to find Kerguelen Island during the outbound leg of the second voyage, February 1773, but ended up 10 degrees to the west, before giving up and sailing for New Zealand.

Cook's Third Voyage

He finally did visit Kerguelen and the nearby islands on the outbound leg of the third voyage, 25 December 1776. He called it the Isle of Desolation, which unbeknown to him was exactly the same name that Kerguelen had given it.

Terres Australes et Antarctique Françaises	16/12/1976	200th Anniversary of Cook's Visit to Kerguelen Island 1v 70c stamp (SG109) showing the Hodges/Basire portrait of Cook.
Terres Australes et Antarctique Françaises	31/12/1976	200th Anniversary of Cook's Visit to Kerguelen Island 1v 3.50f stamp (SG110) showing the Weber drawing of the ships at Kerguelen Island.
Terres Australes et Antarctique Françaises	03/03/1997	250th Anniversary of Kerguelen's Death 1v This 24f se-tenant pair and label shows Weber's engraving of Kerguelen Island.

Vanuatu

Cook's Second Voyage

Cook visited these islands during his second voyage in July and August 1774. His log notes the activity of Tanna and other volcanoes.

English- and French-inscribed issues from the New Hebrides Condominium (as Vanuatu was then known) marked the bicentenary. Since then he has been featured on a couple more stamps.

New Hebrides Condominium - Condominium des Nouvelles Hebrides	01/08/1974	Bicentenary of Discovery by Captain Cook (English & French versions) 3x1v & 1v, 3x1v & 1v Both English and French issues comprise a strip of three 35c stamps showing Captain Cook and Map, William Wales and beach landing, and William Hodges and island scene. The single 1f 15c stamps show Captain Cook, a map of the islands and HMS Resolution.
Vanuatu	29/07/1988	Sydpex 88 1v This 45v stamp, which shows the familiar Dance portrait of Captain Cook, was issued in sheetlets of 5x2, with a horizontal gutter of labels showing HMS Resolution and HMS Endeavour. There were reportedly only 7000 of these sheets issued.
Vanuatu	17/02/1999	Early Explorers 5v The Webber portrait of Captain Cook, HMS Resolution and part of the map of Vanuatu are shown on the 84v stamp in this set. M/S(3v) Shortly after, the Cook stamp was also released in a miniature sheet for the Australia 99 exhibition (19/03/1999) along with two others from the set M/S(3v) The set was then further used for a miniature sheet for the Philex France 99 show, but this does not include the Cook stamp (02/07/1999).

Wallis et Futuna

Wallis's Voyage

Wallis and the Dolphin came across the island that still bears his name on 16/08/1767. They stopped for some supplies before heading through both the Ellice and Gilbert Islands without sighting land. Wallis has been featured on two stamps issued by these islands.

Cook didn't make it here, but Wallis et Futuna did produce a few stamps in the late 1970s commemorating the Discovery of Hawaii and his death.

Wallis et Futuna	//1967	Discovery of Wallis Island 1v This 12f stamp shows the Dolphin against a silhouette of the islands.
Wallis et Futuna	//1973	Pacific Explorers 4v The 28f stamp in this set shows Wallis and the Dolphin.
Wallis et Futuna	22/01/1978	Bicentenary of Visit to Hawaii 2v Overprinted 'James Cook Bicent. Discouverte Iles Hawaii' on US Bicentennial stamps. SG276-277. 19f & 47f stamps.
Wallis et Futuna	28/07/1979	Bicentenary of Death of Captain Cook 1v SG332. 130f airmail stamp showing the Hodges portrait of Cook and Webber's painting of his death.
Wallis et Futuna	03/08/2007	240th Anniversary of the Discovery of Uvea Island by Samuel Wallis 1v and M/S 225f stamp showing Samuel Wallis and the Dolphin. The stamp is repeated in the M/S which is cut around in the shape of the island. SG921-MS922.