Mappemonde ou carte generale de l’Univers sur une projection nouvelle d’une sphere ovale pour mieux entendre les distances entre l’Europe et Amerique avec le tour du monde du Lieut

Large-scale world map on an ovaloid projection first issued in 1778 and here updated to include the tracks and discoveries made by Cook on his third and final voyage. In this edition, Lotter’ map is one of the first to include Cook’ discovery of the Hawaiian Islands in January 1778 and his charting of the American northwest coast which proved conclusively that a navigable passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific did not exist. Following the great success of the published accounts of Cook’ first and second voyage, the Admiralty sought to prevent those on board the HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery from releasing any accounts, sketches or maps of the third voyage. Their attempts proved unsuccessful and the account of the voyage and details of the discoveries were anonymously published in Journal of Captain Cook’ last voyage to the Pacific Ocean on Discovery in 1781. The account was based on the journal of John Rickman, a lieutenant on the voyage, and a French edition was published a year later. It was not until 1784 that the official accounts were published by the Admiralty. The map’ title refers to ‘. Cook’ although Cook had been promoted to commander after returning from his first voyage and then made post-Captain. Australia is shown with the discoveries of Cook’ first voyage 1770 and the earlier Dutch discoveries of Hartog 1616, the van Leeuwin 1619, Nuyts 1627, de Wit 1628 and Tasman 1642-44. The Trial Islands near present-day Dampier, named after the English ship the Trial, which were incorrectly charted by Gerritsz after the false reports provided by Captain Brookes, are also noted. On 30 July 1768, the Lords of the Admiralty signed Cook’ secret instructions for the voyage of the Endeavour . The instructions were in two parts, the second of which was sealed, only to be opened by Cook himself. The first task was to sail to Tahiti from where Cook and his crew were instructed to observe the Transit of Venus. The document included the request that ‘ this service is perform’ you are to put to Sea without loss of time, and carry into execution the Additional Instructions contained in the inclosed Sealed Packet’. The sealed instructions contained the Admiralty’ true reasons for supporting the voyage. In addition to observing the Transit of Venus, Cook was commanded to find the South Land, a ‘ of great extent’ that was thought to exist in the southern latitudes. The orders continued ‘ are to proceed … southward in order to make discovery of the Continent above-mentioned until you arrive in the latitude of 40�, unless you sooner fall in with it’. References: Moreland p.88.