Arrival of Captain Cook; An incident in the Bay of Islands, 29 November 1769

The incident referred to in the title involved Māori being fired on and wounded by Cook and his crew. Cook is explaining the difference between bullets used to kill men, and the small shot used to kill birds. Europeans used the small shot to protect themselves without causing the loss of life that had marked earlier encounters with Māori.

The enlightening influence of Europeans is symbolically implied in the painting. Captain Cook stands on the foreshore of the Bay of Islands beach bathed in light, while the Māori chief appears from the shadows of a gnarly pohutukawa. (Picturing History, 2009)

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