The Hope was a small American brig of 70 tons that was engaged in the Northwest Fur Trade. She was under the command of Captain Joseph Ingraham of Boston. The Hope made two visits to Hawaii ; the first in May of 1791 and the second in October of 1791. This painting shows the second visit.

After the first visit to the Hawaiian Islands, the Hope sailed for the Northwest Coast for a season of trading for furs. By mid September the season was coming to a close and Ingraham set a course for the warmth and succor of the Hawaiian Islands. By October 8, 1791 the Hope was inshore of Hilo and began her sail northward off the Hamakua Coast. Sometimes as many as 150 canoes came off to visit. However, the war between the islands was having an effect on the economy. As the Hope approached the Kohala Coast, a small brig was spied hove-to, deep inshore. Thinking that it might be the Fair American which had been seized by the Hawaiians a year earlier, Ingraham set a course for the strange sail.

When at last the Hope closed with the mystery ship, they found her to be the brig Hancock of Boston. The Hancock had also been trading on the Northwest Coast and had stopped at Hawaii en route to China. The Hancock was desperately short of luxuries such as tea, coffee, and liquors which Ingraham quickly provided. As dusk turned to night, Captain Ingraham wrote :

"It was a calm, delightful evening. The moon shone with uncommon splendor, casting a silvered gleam on the bosom of the deep ; the high lands threw a dark shade which was gradually lightened into a blue tint as the shade lost its effect - an elegant subject for a better pen. However, as I profess to be neither a poet nor painter, all I could do was to admire.

At the same time, conceiving it to be a good one to visit my friends on the Hancock, I ordered my boat hoisted and went on board ( the Hancock), where I was introduced to Captain Crowell and the rest of the gentlemen."

The painting shows Captain Ingraham in his boat alongside the Hancock. The conversation is of home, trade, and conditions in the islands. War was waging on Maui between the forces of King Kamehameha and King Kahekili so it was imperative for a ship reaching Hawaii to find where the danger lay. In the background is the awesome backdrop of the Kohala cliffs with its scores of waterfalls made even more so with the illumination by moonlight.

Price on Request