1774 Cook / Benard/ Hawkesworth Chart of the Straits of Magellan

StraitsMagellan-benard-1774
$950.00
Carte du Detroit de Magellan dans laquelle on a Inseré les observations et de decouvertes du Capne. Byron, du Capne. Wallis, et du Capne. Cateret. - Main View
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1774 Cook / Benard/ Hawkesworth Chart of the Straits of Magellan

StraitsMagellan-benard-1774

A Grand, Detailed Chart of Cook's Passage Through the Straits
$950.00

Title


Carte du Detroit de Magellan dans laquelle on a Inseré les observations et de decouvertes du Capne. Byron, du Capne. Wallis, et du Capne. Cateret.
  1774 (undated)     18 x 29.75 in (45.72 x 75.565 cm)     1 : 774000

Description


This 1774 map of the Straits of Magellan reveals the discoveries made by Captains Samuel Wallis (1728-1795) John Byron (1723-1786) and Captain James Cook (1728-1779) during their respective voyages. In compiling the data of these three explorers, Hawkesworth's chart presented the best knowledge of this important and storied passage. This large and boldly engraved piece shows in detail the treacherous coasts of southern Patagonia and of Tierra del Fuego, replete with soundings, channels, anchorages and small islands. Recognition views are provided for Cabo Virgenes, White Cliffs, Cape Fair Weather at the mouth of the Rio Gallego, and A view of Puerto del Hambre. The coastline is full of detail and colorful place names, such as 'Cape Victory' and 'Piss Pot Bay.'
Publication History and Census
This chart was engraved for inclusion in John Hawkesworth's Relation des voyages entrepris par ordre de Sa Majeste britannique actuellement regnante, in its French edition of 1774. The separate engraving appears to be neglected by institutional collections, appearing only in the University of Chicago and the National Library of Australia. The full text is well represented in institutional collections.

CartographerS


Robert Bénard (1734 - c. 1785) was a French engraver. Born in Paris, Bénard is best known for supplying a significant number of plates (at least 1,800) for the Encyclopédie published by Diderot and Alembert. He also is remembered for his work with the Académie des Sciences, most notably the Descriptions des Arts et Métiers More by this mapmaker...


John Hawkesworth (c. 1715 - November 16, 1773) was an English born writer and editor born London. Hawkesworth, who is said to have been self educated, succeeded Samuel Johnson as the parliamentary debate compiler for "Gentleman's Magazine". He was a deeply religious and moral map who brilliant defense of morality earned him an LL. D degree from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Hawkesworth went on to publish a series of scholarly books and essays including a 12 volume edition of Jonathan Swift's work. In 1772 Hawkesworth was commissioned by the Admiralty to compile and edit James Cook's journals. The resultant work An Account of the Voyages undertaken ... for making discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere was one of the first ethnographic account of the South Seas and was widely published in England and abroad. Though highly influential, Hawkesworth's work received heavy criticism from scholars who claim that he liberally altered much of the text in the name of morality. Learn More...


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. Learn More...

Source


Hawkesworth, John Relation des voyages entrepris par ordre de Sa Majeste britannique actuellement regnante. (Paris : Chez Saillant et Nyon) 1774    

Condition


Good condition. Reinforced at one juncture of folds; some offsetting and wormhole at upper centerfold not affecting print.

References


OCLC 648023850.