"Cession Of Matavai"
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
IN the July (1942) issue of the “PIM” we published a reproduction of a steel-engraving, “The Cession of Matavai” —depicting an incident of early Tahiti. Now, from London, the Rev.
Cecil Northcott, Home Secretary of the London Missionary Society, has sent us details of the origin of the engraving.
The original “Cession of Matavai” is. apparently, a large oil-painting measur ing 12 ft. x 8 ft. It was presented by the London Missionary Society to Captain James Wilson, commander of the mis sionary ship, “Duff.” which took the first LMS missionaries to the Pacific and eventually landed them in Tahiti in 1797, to begin their work of evangelisation amongst Polynesians. Recently this pic ture was given back to the London Missionary Society by descendants of Captain Wilson, and is now at LMS headquarters in London.
Our reproduction was of the steel engraving which the LMS gave to Mr.
W W. Bolton, MA. of Papeete, in recog nition of his historical work in Tahiti.
Mr. Bolton subsequently presented the engraving to the British Consulate in Papeete, where it is hanging to-day.