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C1800
Chart of the East India Islands, Exhibiting the Several Passages between the Indian and Pacific Oceans; Incsribed to the Commanders and Officers of the British Ships Navigating those Seas
Mapmaker:
First edition of this very rare and impressive, four sheet chart of Southeast Asia, by the great English cartographer Aaron Arrowsmith. The chart covers the area from the Andaman Islands in the west, to New Guinea in the east and … Read Full Description
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Full Title:
Chart of the East India Islands, Exhibiting the Several Passages between the Indian and Pacific Oceans; Incsribed to the Commanders and Officers of the British Ships Navigating those Seas
Date:
C1800
Mapmaker:
Condition:
In good condition, four sheets joined and laid onto archival linen.
Technique:
Copper engraving with original hand colouring
Image Size:
1880mm
x 1250mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1800
Description:
First edition of this very rare and
impressive, four sheet chart of Southeast Asia, by the great English
cartographer Aaron Arrowsmith.
The chart covers the area from the Andaman
Islands in the west, to New Guinea in the east and north to Burma. Arrowsmith provides all the sea
routes through the Southeast Asian archipelago to China, with detailed depth
soundings, winds and known obstacles. This was the best chart of its day for the East
Indianman that were sailing to the Indian ports of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that the British Hydrographic Office would send its own ships to survey
and produce updated charts of the area. The East India Company’s expansion of
its trade in Asia, from
its base in India and later its trade with China (especially in Tea), necessitated the use of the best charts available and for this, they turned to the most imminent English mapmaker of the period, Aaron Arrowsmith.
Many of Arrowsmith’s notes of obstacles
and dangers, with their ‘authority’, were sourced from Laurie and Whittle’s The Oriental navigator, or, New directions
for sailing to and from the East Indies, the indispensable guide
to navigation in eastern waters.
Publication date 20th Feby. 1800
A.Arrowsmith, No. 24 Rathbone Place.
The only other examples of this first issue that we have been able to locate are in the National Library of
Australia and the British Library. Later issues are found with corrections to 1809,
1812 and 1824.
Aaron Arrowsmith (1750 - 1823)
"Easily the foremost cartographer of his time" (Tooley) The Arrowsmiths were the leading British map publishers in the early 19th century founded by Aaron Arrowsmith. Born in an impoverished family, at Winston, Durham, 14 July 1750. He came to London about 1770 and although self taught he established himself as a land surveyor and worked for other publishers such as Faden and Cary. In 1790 he set up in his own establishment in Castle Street, Long Acre as a publisher and engraver. His first production was A Chart of the World on Mercator's Projection, Showing all the New Discoveries. This was published on 1 April 1790, and fore-shadowed the direction of his contribution to geography. He was to concentrate his considerable energies on the production of large scale general charts, recording of the latest geographical discoveries. His maps were sold singularly in sheets or collections but not in published atlas format and were constantly revised. He was Hydrographer to the Prince of Wales from about 1810 and subsequently Hydrographer to George IV. He used the material of important contemporary explorers such as Bass, Flinders and Colnett and had the confidence of travellers who sent him their manuscripts or information for inclusion in his maps. He received assistance from Dalrymple, Rennell, the Hudson Bay Company, the Ordance Office and the East India Company.
