74 Robert Bénard Demouchy (1728 – after 1785) – A Perforated Rock in Tolaga Bay, New Zealand – Engraving from Cook & Hawkesworth’s Voyages (1778–1785)

This engraving, titled Vue d’un Rocher troué de la Nouvelle Zélande (A Perforated Rock in New Zealand), depicts the natural arch formation at Tolaga Bay on New Zealand’s North Island. It was produced for the French edition of Relation des Voyages entrepris par ordre de Sa Majesté Britannique…, the official account of Captain James Cook’s first voyage, compiled by John Hawkesworth and published in Paris by Hôtel de Thou between 1778 and 1785. Based on original sketches by Sydney Parkinson, the image was engraved by Robert Bénard Demouchy, whose work played a major role in disseminating the visual legacy of Cook’s explorations. The composition captures the dramatic geological formation in a richly wooded setting, with small figures suggesting the scale of the natural structure.