First edition of this scarce double hemisphere map of the World, with decorative title cartouche, representations of the four continents in the corners and ornate compass rose.
The map tracks the routes of several of the great explorers of the second half of the 18th Century, including Cook's first expedition. The remakable misconceptions of the northwest coast of America are still very much in evidence, reflecting the limited information and apocryphal details derived from the Russian expeditions to the region, prior to 1750.
The map is decorated with six ornate cartouches.
In about 1780, Carington Bowles first published "Bowles's Universal Atlas". An example of this edition appears to be in the Library of Congress. Bowles appears to have re-issued the atlas with revisions just prior to his death in 1793. He was succeeded by his son Henry Carington Bowles (1763-1830), shortly after he formed a partnership with Samuel Carver. The firm was renamed Bowles and Carver and continued trading at No. 69 St. Pauls Churchyard. Most publications by this firm are rare and "Bowles's Universal Atlas" is no exception.