Dutch edition. Cook's East Coast of Australia chart. c1780

by Cook, Captain James

Kaart van Nieuw Zuid Wales of de Oostlyke Kust van Nieuw Holland ontdekt en onderzogt door den Luitenant J. Cook met het Schip de Endeavour in het Jaar 1770. (Chart of New South Wales, or the East Coast of New Holland. Discovered and Explored by Lieutenant J. Cook, Commander of His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour in the Year MDCCLXX. (1770)

Original antique map engraved by Cornelis van Baarsel (born Utrecht,1761 - died Amsterdam, 1826) for publication in a small Dutch edition of Voyages of Captain Cook published in Amsterdam c1780. This is the most important antique map, recording James Cook's discovery and charting of the east coast of Australia on the first of his three voyages around the world between 1768 and 1780. Between April 19 and August 22 in 1770, Cook claimed the land for England and named it New South Wales. Cook's ship Endeavour was damaged when it ran aground on one of the Hope Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Endeavour was repaired where Cooktown now stands, in the Endeavour River.

Cook named this region of dangerous reefs "The Labrynth". After the repairs to his ship, Lieutenant Cook continued sailing north, outside the reef; so the coast between Cape Flattery and Cape Weymouth was not mapped at that time. Cook's charting of Australia's east coast was so accurate that his navigational records were used for over 100 years.

The unknown southern land (Terra Australis Incognita) was known as New Holland after the Dutch charted the west coast when blown off course during voyages to the Spice Islands (Indonesia).  This is an important map for any collector of Captain Cook's discoveries which were so important they were re-issued in other countries and languages as soon as his voyages were published in England.

There are watermarks of three elephants across the top third of this map. The map has many folds, for inclusion in a small publication. There is a rust spot to the right of the upper left text, but the map is otherwise in good condition and measures 38 x 80cm (15 x 31.5 inches) as issued. To the map border measures 35.5 x 76.3 cm (14 x 30 inches)