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1817 Capt James Cook Antique Atlas of 1st Voyage to Australia - 22 Illustrations

Cartographer : Captain James Cook

Description:
This fine original antique Atlas of the 1st Voyage of Captain James Cooks Voyage of discovery to the South Seas was translated and published in Paris by M Henry & Breton in the 1817 - dated - edition of Biblio Portative Des Voyages Traduite De L Anglais Par MM. Henry et Breton Tome XVIII (Portable Travel Library. Translated from the English by MM Henry and Breton Volume 18)

General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - 
Colors used: - 
General color appearance: - 
Page size: - 7in x 5in (180mm x 125mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - Light age toning
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

This atlas contains 22 (of 23) copper-plate engraved prints, listed below.
The atlas covers have been removed with front title page partially detached. Pages are generally clean with light aging to borders, overall VG, 8vo, each page size is 7in x 5in (180mm x 125mm)
Cooks first voyage of discovery was his most important were he famously discovered and mapped the east coast of Australia and New Zealand. The prints in order are; 

1. Patagonia
2. Dauphin in Tahiti
3. Captain Wallis in Tahiti
4. Indians in Terra Del Fuego
5. Bay of Matavia
6 & 21. Bread fruit & Maori War Instruments
7. View of Tahiti
8 & 9 Military dress of Tahiti
10 & 11 Military & everyday instruments from the south Seas
12. Way of burying the dead 
13. N/A
14. View of Ulietea
15. House of Ulietea
16. View of Rocher Trove, NZ
17. Village on Rocher Trove, NZ
18 & 19. Jade Engraving & Maori warrior of New Zealand
20. War canoe of New Zealand
22. Endeavour River, Queensland

Cooks 1st Voyage:
The first voyage under Captain James Cook's command was primarily of a scientific nature. The expedition on the Endeavourinitially 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. (Ref Clancy; Tooley; M&B)

 

$375.00