1860 A New Chart of the South Pacific Ocean Including Australia, the East India Islands…

This fascinating sea chart, an original ‘blue back’ by James Imray, was one of the foremost navigational charts in use by navigators of the Pacific in the middle of the 19th century. The chart covers an area from the Philippines and Australia in the west to the western coastline of South America. The chart high details the region to the extent possible at the time it was published. The remarkable detail of all coastal areas would have been invaluable to navigators. It includes serious warnings and cautionary notes regarding areas where information based on ‘uncertain authorities’ makes it necessary to exercise extreme caution. In other places Imray warns that there are many dangers due to the lack of knowledge of the place. With its enormous amount of detail, the chart would have spoken clearly to any navigator using it, enabling ships and crews to sail with a great degree of confidence. Two interesting details concern routes featured crossing the Pacific and labeled by Imray as being