Captain Cook's chart of Taheite when he was the Lieutenant commanding H.M.S. Endeavor in 1769.
First issue of the chart which was published in Hawksworth's account of the voyage published in 1773.
The purpose of the visit was to observe the transit of Venus duing an eclipse and an observatory was established at Point Venus, the northern-most point of the island. Their land base was in Matavai Bay, a little to the west. Cook's party spent months in Tahiti doing their observatory work as well as collecting botanical and ethnological material.
Copperplate engraving.
235 x 407 mm. (Ruled line).
Original folds.
A little time staining.