A scarce map of the Pacific and Philippines

BURNEY, James.

A Chart of the Discoveries made in the South Sea, or Pacific Ocean, previous to A.D. 1579, And shewing the opinions entertained by the Geographers of that Period, concerning the existance of Lands in the parts which had not been explored.
London: Burney, 1803. 300 x 400mm.

A rare sketch map of the Pacific, engraved by Francis Sansom and published in Burney's 'A Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean'. Niuatoputapu was was visited in 1616 by Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire , who called it Traitors Island because of the duplicity of the islanders.
After sailing with Captain Cook on his last two voyages (and witnessing Cook's death on Hawaii), the naval career of James Burney (1750-1821) was cut short by illness. He published this extensive compilation of voyages to the Pacific between 1803 and 1817. In 1821, aged 71, Burney was promoted to rear-admiral on the retired list after a personal intervention by Admiral of the Fleet, the Duke of Clarence (later William IV).
Sansom is well-known as an engraver of caricatures but does not appear in either 'Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers' or 'British Map Engravers'


Stock ID : 20985