Lot Essay
The Uranie left Coupang for New Guinea on 23rd October, 1818 and was becalmed for over three weeks in the straits of Ombay, north of Portugese Timor. Arago went ashore and was impressed by the warlike natives whose arms he shows in this drawing. See J. Arago, 'Souvenirs d'un aveugle, voyage autour du monde', Paris, 1828, I, pp 255-6.