Mer du Sud (Southern Ocean). Cook's 1st voyage. Explorers from 1765 to 1771.

by Hawkesworth, John

Carte d'une partie de la Mer du Sud Contenant les Decouvertes des Vaisseaux de sa Majeste. Le Dauphin, Commodore Byron, La Tamar, Capitne Mouats, 1765. Le Dauphin, Capitne.Wallis, Le Swallow, Capitne Carteret, 1767. et l'Endeavour, Lieutenant Cook, 1769.
(Chart of a part of the Southern Seas containing the discoveries of the Vessels of Her Majesty...) engraved by Benard for the French edition of Hawkesworth's Account of Cook's Voyages c1774.

Cook's first voyage, as Lieutenant James Cook, from 1768 to 1771, across the Pacific, around New Zealand and up the east coast of Australia, and through Endeavour Strait, before returning to England. This map, showing Cook's charting of New Zealand, and the east coast of Australia in 1770 when he claimed the land for England and named it New South Wales.

This is an important map showing Captain Cook's first voyage across the Pacific Ocean, with his first mission of recording the eclipse of the sun from Tahiti, and then his second mission to discover the Great South Land and chart the east coast of Australia. Between April 19 and August 22 Cook charted the east coast of Australia. His ship Endeavour was damaged when it ran aground in the Great Barrier Reef. Endeavour was repaired nearby in the Endeavour river where Cooktown now stands, and this "Labrynth" region of dangerous reefs between Cape Flattery and Cape Weymouth was charted in a small additional map. After the repairs to his ship, Lieutenant Cook continued sailing north, outside the reef. 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 when the Dutch charted the west coast after being blown off course during voyages to the Spice Islands (Indonesia). Cook's mapping of the east coast was important as it resulted in European settlement in Australia. Cook's chart recording his discovery of the east coast of Australia was published in a number of countries. This map was published in 1774 in the French edition of Cook's Voyage.

The map is on thick paper with wide margins. There is a little offsetting from the ink where the book has been too tightly packed, there are a few smudge marks and some paper discolouration, and the map has several folds (one horizontally and four vertically to accommodate publication in a smaller size. The page measures approximately 46.5 x 79cm (18.1/4 x 31 inches). To the map border measures 35.5 x 66 cm (14 x 26 inches)