[NEW ZEALAND] Abut Head to Cape Foulwind

Description

Extremely rare first issue of this hydrographic chart of the New Zealand west coast, extending from Cape Foulwind. The Cape was first named Rock Cape by Abel Tasman in 1642 and renamed by James Cook on his visit in 1770.

The regular updating of Hydrographic charts by the Hydrographic Office was to ensure that commanders of ships, pilots and other mariners were able to have the most to up to date information available to safely navigate foreign waters and ports as new information of changes to sea depths, sand bars, wrecks or other any other pertinent nautical information that could hinder passage became available. As updated charts were offered for sale, the earlier outdated charts in the hands of mariners, pilots, ships owners and sailors were invariably discarded, subsequently making all British Admiralty issued hydrographic charts of the period rare but the first issue much more so.