The following is a brief excerpt from Tattoo History: A Source Book, by Stephen G. Gilbert now available in print.

Tattoo History Source Book: Sir Joseph Banks and the First Records of Tattooing in Tahiti and New Zealand
The first account of Polynesian tattooing was written by Joseph Banks, who sailed as naturalist with Captain (then Lieutenant) James Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific (1768-1771). Banks was a wealthy young man with a taste for adventure. He was also a passionate amateur naturalist who, while neglecting his studies at Eton and Oxford, began to amass an invaluable natural history collection including skeletons, insects, pressed plants, minerals and stuffed animals. This collection was ultimately acquired by the Natural History Museum of London where it may still be seen today. Banks so impressed the leading naturalists of his time that - at the age of 23 - he became the youngest member of the Royal Society.

In 1767 Banks learned that the Royal Society had chosen James Cook to lead a voyage of exploration to the South Pacific. Cook, who was little known outside naval circles, was a man of working-class origins who had risen through the ranks by making a reputation for himself as an outstanding navigator and cartographer.

Cook was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and charged with two missions. The first was to sail to Tahiti, from which he was to observe the transit of Venus when it passed between the earth and the sun. It was thought that this observation would make it possible to calculate the exact distance between the earth and the sun, and that this in turn would improve the accuracy of mapmaking and navigation.

Cook's second and more important mission was to discover, if possible, a fabled Southern Continent which could provide new sources of colonial wealth. He was therefore ordered to bring back detailed descriptions of the plants, animals, minerals, and other natural resources in any lands he might visit. And for this, he needed a naturalist.

When Joseph Banks heard of the proposed voyage he was on fire with enthusiasm and energetically promoted himself for the position of naturalist. In view of his outstanding record as a collector and also, no doubt, influenced by the ten thousand pounds (a small fortune in those days) which he donated to help finance the expedition, the Royal Society was easily persuaded that Banks was the man best qualified for the post. Banks brought with him Sydney Parkinson, one of the most talented young scientific illustrators of his day.