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This finely engraved
beautifully hand coloured original antique map of the
Islands of Tahiti - as mapped by Cook after observing
the 1769 eclipse during his first voyage of discovery -
was engraved by F G Berger for the French edition of
Cooks 1st voyage of discovery published in 1780.
Cook's First Voyage
(1768-1771)
The first voyage under
Captain James Cook's command was primarily of a
scientific nature. The expedition on the Endeavour
initially sailed to Tahiti to observe the transit of the
planet Venus in order to calculate the earth's distance
from the sun. Cook landed on the South Pacific island in
April of 1769 and in June of that year the astronomical
observations were successfully completed. In addition to
these labors, very good relations with the Tahitians
were maintained and the naturalists Joseph Banks and
Daniel C. Solander conducted extensive ethnological and
botanical research.
Another purpose of the voyage was to explore the South
Seas to determine if an inhabitable continent existed in
the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Upon
leaving Tahiti, Cook named and charted the Society
Islands and then continued southwest to New Zealand. His
circumnavigation and exploration of that country also
resulted in a detailed survey. Cook proceeded to
Australia, where he charted the eastern coast for 2,000
miles, naming the area New South Wales. As a result of
these surveys, both Australia and New Zealand were
annexed by Great Britain. In addition to these
explorations, the Endeavour returned to England
without a single death from scurvy among its men, an
historic feat at the time. The combination of these
accomplishments brought Cook prominence, promotion, and
the opportunity to lead further expeditions.
General Description:
Paper thickness and
quality: - Light and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Early
Colors used: - Green, blue
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 16 1/2in x 10in (420mm x 255mm)
Plate size: - 16 1/2in x 10in (420mm x 255mm)
Margins: - 1/4in (5mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - Restoration to small portion of bottom left
margin
Plate area: - Restoration to small tear bottom left of
image, folds as issued
Verso: - Age toning | 
