South Pacific, Panorama of a Whaling Voyage: (Roll 3, Section 2)
The Panorama Explores the South Pacific, Showcasing Islands like Pitcairn and Juan Fernández
"The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World" Roll 3, Section 29/44 (1848) by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce PurringtonNew Bedford Whaling Museum
In this section of the "Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World", the longest painting in North America, created by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce Purrington in 1848, you'll experience a portrayal of a whaling voyage that spans the globe.
After enduring rough waters, sailors passed by several islands in the South Pacific, including Juan Fernández, Pitcairn, and Ua Pou, each with its own well-known characteristics and rich histories.
Voyage MapNew Bedford Whaling Museum
"Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World"
This highlighted section of the voyage is depicted here on this line. Scroll through this story to continue the voyage.
"The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World" Roll 3, Section 29/44 (1848) by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce PurringtonNew Bedford Whaling Museum
Section 29 of 44
Juan Fernandez Islands
The famous island of Juan Fernandez lies 540 miles off the coast of Chile. This was the fabled home of Alexander Selkirk, a real-life castaway, upon whom Daniel Defoe based his 1719 novel, Robinson Crusoe.
Whalers and other mariners frequently visited the island for fresh water and fish. Here a whaler lies hove-to while a boat’s crew goes in-shore to fish.
Crusoe’s cave is seen onshore as is an interpretation of Robinson Crusoe himself with his goat. Other goats with which the place was stocked can also be seen on the hillside.
A view of the island of Juan Fernandez, or Más a Tierra, as it is officially known, and the cave dwellings of the Spanish convicts sent from the Chilean mainland for sentencing in 1819. The crew from a whaler can be seen exercising on the beach
"The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World" Roll 3, Section 30/44 (1848) by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce PurringtonNew Bedford Whaling Museum
Section 30 of 44
A school of flying fish soars by a whale ship hove-to off shore at Juan Fernandez.
Here the ship Kutusoff is seen making a passage between Juan Fernandez and Pitcairn Island, a distance of 2900 miles.
Once arriving at Pitcairn another whaler, the ship Marcus of Fairhaven, which visited there January 13, 1846, is shown standing off and on while a boat goes ashore.
"The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World" Roll 3, Section 31/44 (1848) by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce PurringtonNew Bedford Whaling Museum
Section 31 of 44
Pitcairn Islands
The rock balanced so precariously on the nearby mountain top is called “The Nose.” It is a navigational reference point for almost 20 miles out to sea from Pitcairn Island.
Russell includes several details including the famous Banyan tree under which the people from the H.M.S. Bounty built their village in 1790, later named Adamstown, for the patriarch and last-surviving mutineer, John Adams.
The artists show the islanders paddling in their canoes. In 1790, Fletcher Christian landed, stripped the Bounty, ran her ashore, and burned the hull, which sank. A few timbers can be seen protruding from the water as the last visible remains of H.M.S. Bounty.
"The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World" Roll 3, Section 32/44 (1848) by Benjamin Russell and Caleb Pierce PurringtonNew Bedford Whaling Museum
Section 32 of 44
In this view two whale ships are having a “gam,” a friendly meeting on the high seas. In this case, the captain and his wife are being rowed from one ship to the other to visit.
The next is an exciting sperm whaling scene. The action takes place off the high volcanic island of Ua Pou, called Roapoua by whalemen, 1200 miles northwest of Pitcairn. Its exotic mountain spires made Ua Pou one of the most frequently illustrated islands in the Marquesas group,
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