1835 Manuscript Map of Port Palliser and Christmas Harbor on Kerguelen Island
PortPalliserChristmas-manuscript-1835$250.00
Title
Port Palliser Kerguelen's Ld. Christmas Harbour Kerguelen's Land.
1835 (undated) 7.5 x 9.5 in (19.05 x 24.13 cm) 1 : 46000
1835 (undated) 7.5 x 9.5 in (19.05 x 24.13 cm) 1 : 46000
Description
This is a beautiful c.1835 manuscript map depicting Port Palliser and Christmas Harbor on the Kerguelen Islands or Desolation Islands. Essentially two maps on a single sheet, the left map features Port Palliser with smaller islands nearby, while the right map depicts Christmas Harbor. Throughout, depth soundings are noted. Latitude and longitude are also noted below each title. According to the text in the bottom right, this map is based on an earlier map from the publication of Cook’s Third Voyage.
Officially discovered in 1772, Captain James Cook re-discovered the islands during his third voyage in 1776 when he anchored there on Christmas day, and named to harbor Christmas Harbor. Seeing the sterile landscape Cook named the islands ‘Desolation Island’. The island group continues to be amongst the most isolated places in the World.
Officially discovered in 1772, Captain James Cook re-discovered the islands during his third voyage in 1776 when he anchored there on Christmas day, and named to harbor Christmas Harbor. Seeing the sterile landscape Cook named the islands ‘Desolation Island’. The island group continues to be amongst the most isolated places in the World.
Cartographer
Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 - 14 February 1779) is a seminal figure in the history of cartography for which we can offer only a cursory treatment here. Cook began sailing as a teenager in the British Merchant Navy before joining the Royal Navy in 1755. He was posted in America for a time where he worked Samuel Holland, William Bligh, and others in the mapping of the St. Lawrence River and Newfoundland. In 1766 Cook was commissioned to explore the Pacific and given a Captaincy with command of the Endeavour. What followed were three historic voyages of discovery, the highlights of which include the first European contact with eastern Australia, the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands (among many other Polynesian groups), the first circumnavigation of New Zealand, some of the first sightings of Antarctica, the first accurate mapping of the Pacific Northwest, and ultimately his own untimely death at the hands of angry Hawaiians in 1779. The influence of Cook work on the mapping and exploration of the Pacific cannot be understated. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Very good. Manuscript map. Minor spotting.