DESCRIPTION: Engraved chart of the Hawaiian Islands issued shortly after the publication of the official account of Captain Cook’s third voyage by James King in June, 1784. This chart was published in London by Harrison & Co., on July 1, 1784. It traces the routes of Cook’s ships Resolution and Discovery through the archipelago and highlights “O Whyhee” (Hawaiʻi), where Cook met his death in February 1779.
Based closely on Henry Roberts’ official chart but without the inset of Kealakekua Bay, Harrison’s version was created for a popular audience eager for news of the famous explorer’s final journey.
The map offers one of the earliest separately issued depictions of the Hawaiian Islands, capturing the moment when they first entered European geographic consciousness.
Printed from a finely engraved copper plate, the chart combines geographic accuracy with contemporary drama, naming each island and noting Cook’s fatal landing. Examples of this edition are far scarcer than those bound in the official voyage atlas, making it a sought-after piece for collectors of Pacific exploration and early Hawaiian cartography.
Harrison’s New Chart of the Sandwich Islands (1) presents the Hawaiian archipelago with a clear navigational focus, reflecting the exploratory priorities of Cook’s third voyage. Each island is delineated with simple coastal outlines and labeled using contemporary spellings such as “Owhyhee,” “Mowee,” “Atooi,” and “Oneeheow.” The map traces the tracks of Cook’s vessels Resolution and Discovery as they approached and departed the islands, marking the course of Cook's final voyage through the Pacific.
While interior detail is minimal, the chart includes basic topographic indications such as the prominent volcanic peaks of Hawaii and soundings along select coasts. Its cartography emphasizes relative position, sailing routes, and coastline recognition—hallmarks of late-18th-century British hydrographic style—offering an early European attempt to portray the Hawaiian Islands as a coherent geographic group.
Note:
(1) Cook bestowed the name "Sandwich Islands" in honor of his patron, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who at the time was First Lord of the Admiralty—the British government official responsible for overseeing the Royal Navy.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1784
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Hawaii
BODY OF WATER: Pacific Ocean
CONDITION: Good.
Washed. No issues.
COLORING: None
ENGRAVER:
SIZE: 13
" x
8 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION:
PRICE: $1500
ADD TO CART
|