NEW ZEALAND COOK FIRST FRENCH EDITION

CARTE DE LA NLE ZELANDE VISITEE EN 1769 ET 1770 PAR COOK

£995

Carte De La Nle. Zelande visitee en 1769 et 1770 par le Lieutenant J. Cook Commandant De L'Endeavor Vaisseau de la Majeste .

Original French Edition of James Cook's Chart of New Zealand, from the First French Edition of Hawkesworth's Voyages.

Scarce first French edition of the most important single map in New Zealand's history and the first complete map of the two islands' coastlines. It confirmed that New Zealand was not part of a mysterious southern continent and records some of the earliest interactions between Europeans and Maoris.

The original survey for the chart was made in 1769 and 1770, during Cook's first voyage, and shows the track of the HMS Endeavour, with dates and soundings, while the interior reflects the mountainous topography as viewed from ship and shore. This French version was converted from the English chart published with the first edition of Hawkesworth's collection in 1773 and published in Paris in 1774.

Folds as issued

Mint condition