Subject: Newfoundland, Canada
Period: 1784 (dated)
Publication:
Color: Black & White
Size:
24.1 x 34.6 inches
61.2 x 87.9 cm
This large, detailed chart focuses on Newfoundland and the eastern coast of Labrador and Quebec. There are extensive navigational details, including depth soundings, rocks, shoals, and the locations of fishing banks. The map is largely based on the work of James Cook and his assistant, Michael Lane. Cook entered the service of the Royal Navy in 1755 where he learned navigation, surveying, cartography. His skills as a surveyor and mapmaker were noted by the Royal Navy, and he was sent on several voyages to Canada to chart Newfoundland, an important location due to the cod fishing industry. In 1768, Cook was appointed on his first circumnavigation of the world, and Michael Lane took over and completed the mapping of Newfoundland. The engraved seal of the Depot de la Marine appears below the title, and the price of "Prix Trois Livres" is below the map at right.
References: Kershaw #556.
Condition: B+
A dark impression on a bright sheet with a double-headed eagle watermark, light offsetting, and light toning along the centerfold. There is a dampstain in the bottom margin, not affecting the image.