Talk:Tupaia (navigator)

Latest comment: 4 years ago by CaptainCookFan

Incorrect date of Death (as of Oct 2020)

The date of Tupaia's death listed on this article is inaccurate. I note that it has recently been amended and that the author has outlined their rationale (to rely on a date inserted in the Endeavour muster book). But their reasoning here is poor. Since July 1769 Tupaia had been a member of Joseph Banks's party. Banks was responsible for him and had pledged to remain so once they arrived back in Britain. So it is vital to note that, on 11 Nov 1770, Banks wrote: "We receivd the news of Tupias death." This comes two days after Banks wrote (on 9 November) "This day we receivd the disagreable news of the death of Tayeto, and that his death had so much affected Tupia that there was little hopes of his surviving him many days." For the past century this has been considered the best source relating to Tupaia's death and with good reason too. Banks was an on-the-spot observer and, contrary to what is argued, a very accurate source. It would be very curious for him to record Tupaia's death a month before it happened. The likelihood is that the Endeavour Muster was hurriedly amended once the bustle of business in Batavia was done with.

John Beaglehole wrote a footnote for Joseph Banks's entry for 11 November, 1770, which begins "Tupaia died on 20 December".
He explained the reasoning for Banks's date error in the previous footnote, which reads in part "Banks's journal for this distressing period must have been written up later, with dates supplied rather vaguely from memory".
These footnotes can be seen online at http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bea02Bank-t1-body-d4-d4.html
CaptainCookFan (talk) 12:00, 30 October 2020 (UTC)Reply


Spelling

since his boy died whoom I well knew he sincerely lovd, tho he usd to find much fault with him during his life time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.71.11.206 (talk) 11:36, 30 October 2020 (UTC)Reply

Someone who knows more than me needs to check the spelling, as in: Tupaia soon became their advisor and high priest, and eventually Puera's lover. Tupaia befriended Samuel Wallis during his observation of a solar eclipse, and then Joseph Banks during the 1769 Transit of Venus observed from..

The spelling of the name of the good lady beginning with `P'

Purea is the correct spelling of the name, though Cook and Banks usually spelt it as Oborea. See the Wikipedia entry for Purea. CaptainCookFan (talk) 14:37, 10 November 2020 (UTC)Reply