Dusky Bay is on the northern shore of Dusky Sound in the far south-west of the South Island of New Zealand. Captain James Cook arrived at Dusky Bay on 26 March 1773, where he rested his men and feasted on abundant fish after three months of intense cold in Antarctic waters. The voyage artist, William Hodges, (1744-1797)  produced some of his finest works of the voyage here. He was the official artist on the H.M.S. RESOLUTION, Cook's vessel on his second voyage of discovery to the Pacific Ocean.
The scene shows a Maori family consisting of a man and woman with two young children, the man carrying a fighting club on his belt, a hunting club and the woman is resting her weight against a spear. They are all clad in fur skins, most probably of seal, given the dirth of mammals in New Zealand.
1777.
Copperplate engraving.
Later hand-colour.
250 x 380 mm. (Plateline).
Good condition with the original fold as issued.