PNG. Captain Carteret, Captain Cook and Captain Dampier map c1788.

by Bonne, Rigobert

Antique Map of discoveries of Captain Carteret in New Britain, with a part of the passage of Captain Cook through Endeavour Strait and the discoveries of Captain Dampier in these parts. By Monsieur (Rigobert) Bonne (1727-1794), Hydrographic Engineer of the French Navy. Published in Paris c1788.

This is a wonderful compilation of several explorers' voyages around Papua New Guinea, with coastal discoveries and voyages by Captain Philip Carteret, Captain William Dampier and Captain James Cook, and depth soundings along Captain Cook’s track after leaving Australia - to the north through the Endeavour Strait, and along the south-west coast of Papua New Guinea. It is a superb original map engraved by André for Rigobert Bonne, and published in Paris circa 1788 on thick hand-made paper for Voyage du Capne Carteret in Bonne's Atlas encyclopedique, which is considered by many to be the best-known summary of all of Cook’s maps pertaining to the discovery of Australia. The lower half of the map is the main chart of Nouvelle Guinea ou Terre des Papous (New Guinea or Land of the Papuas). The upper half of the map includes important discoveries in five little sections of coastline, with a decorative compass rose indorporated to indicate the north-south perspective.  

Royal hydrographer, Rigobert Bonne  (1727-1794) was born in the village of Raucourt in the Ardennes. He compiled charts of the coasts of France, and his folio size Atlas Maritime published in 1762, was re-issued in octavo size in 1778. Bonne published a number of atlases and maps, some in conjunction with other cartographers, as well as providing maps for other mapmakers' atlases and encyclopedias.

This map has a few small foxing spots, and a central vertical fold to accommodate publication in a smaller volume. It is unusually rich thick paper with wide margins. The later hand-tinting with watercolour highlights the coastlines of the landmasses and makes this a rather decorative map.

Paper size is 305 x 460mm (12 x 18 1/8 inches). To map border measures  250 x 360mm (9 3/4 x 14 1/4 inches).