![The English Pilot. Describing the West-India Navigation, from Hudson's Bay to the River Amazones. [Fourth Book] By Mount & Page](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/71190.jpg)
An Extremely Rare, Early, and Desirable Edition of the English Pilot, The Fourth Book.
The English Pilot was the navigator's Bible for traders plying the East Coast of North America in the 18th century. While some of its charts seem crude by today's standards, this atlas is highly significant for bringing together, for the first time in an English sea atlas, charts of the entire East Coast of North America - making it an essential tool for traders doing business with the English North American colonies.
The present example is a very rare and early edition with several important charts, including a foundational chart of Boston Harbor.
Fourth Book
The 1721 edition of The Fourth Book of the English Pilot was designed specifically for maritime navigators, incorporating the latest hydrographic updates through its evolving chart selections. Due to the harsh conditions typically faced at sea, few copies of this work have survived, making extant editions particularly rare. This 1721 edition stands out for housing unique contents, including only one other known copy in the Library of Congress.
Notably, this copy bears annotations likely made by its navigator-owner, including a manuscript titled "A table of the North Stars Declination ... calculated in the year 1720" and a chart of "The Virgins Rocks on the Bank Newfoundland East of Cape Raze 85 miles," highlighting a treacherous area renowned for its rich cod fisheries.
Of great note is the inclusion of an extremely rare early chart of Boston, entitled A New Survey of the Harbour of Boston in New England, dating from around 1706. This chart of Boston is generally considered to be the first large navigable chart of Boston Harbor, pre-dated only by Thomas Pound's A New Mapp of New England . . which includes a large inset plan of the harbor, which survives in a single example in the Library of Congress.
The Fourth Book Maps
A New Generall Chart for the West Indies of E. Wright Projection vut Mercators Chart
A Generall Chart of the Western Ocean Sold by R. Mount and T. Page on Great Tower Hill London
A Chart of the Sea Coast of New Foundland, New Scotland, New England, New York, New Jersey with Virginia and Maryland. Sold by Richd. Mount & Tho: Page at the Postern on Great Tower hill London [slightly trimmed at the top]
The Harbour of Casco Bay, and Island Adjacent. By Capt. Cyprian Southicke. Printed for & Sold by Richd. Mount Tho: Page and Company on Tower Hill London 1720.
The Coast of New=Found=Land From Cape-Raze to Cape St-Francis. Described by Henry Southwood. [on sheet with:] The Coast of New=Found=Land From Salmon Cove to Cape Bonavista. Described by Henry Southwood
A Chart Shewing Part of the Sea Coast of New=Foundland From ye Bay of Bull sto little Plecentia exactly and Carefully lay'd down by John Gaudy Anno 1715.
Harbor Grace.
Bay Bulls. Part of Newfound-Land.
Cattalina Harbor. Part of New=Found-Land.
Port Bonavista.
Island of St. Peters.
A Large Draught of New England New York and Long Island. By Saml. Thornton at the Signe of England Scotland and Ireland in the Minories London.
A New Survey of the Harbour of Boston in New England Done by Order of the Principall Officers and Comissioners of her Maties Navy.
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsilvania, East & West New Jarsey. By John Thornton at ye Platt in the Minories And by Will: Fischer at ye Postorn Gate on Tower hill London
A New Map of Carolina By John Thronton at ye Platt in ye Minories And by Will: Fisher at ye Postorn Gate on Tower hill
Barbados Latt: 13d: North
A Large Draft of the Island Antegua
A Chart of the Caribe Ilands by Saml Thornton Hydrographer at the Signe of England, Scotland and Ireland in the Minories London [Second State]
A Chart of the Iland of Hispaniola. With the Windward passage from Jamaica betwene ye East end of Cuba & the West end of Hispaniola
The Island of Jamaica [with inset:] A Draft of the Harbor of Port Royall and of all ye Kees: Latt: 17d: 50 [State undetermined. Probably first.]
A New Chart of the Bahama Islands And the Windward Passage. By Sam:l Thornton Hydrographer At the Signe of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in the Minories London. [Second State]
Bermuda
A Draught of the Coast of Guiana, From the River Oronoque, To the River Amazones [with inset:] The River Oronoque From the Entrance thereof to St. Thomas's. [and:] The River of Surinam and places adjacent
A New and Correct Large Draught of the Tradeing Part of the West Indies By Sam:l Thornton Hydrogr: At the Signe of England Scotland and Ireland in the Minories London [Second State]
The English Pilot
The series of English Pilot books was started in 1671 by John Seller, whose charts were derived from the Dutch pilot books of Pieter Goos. Throughout its publication history, the charts went through numerous changes, starting with the addition to the 18 charts in the first edition to an eventual 26 in the final (the present edition has 22). Nearly every chart in the Fourth Book was reworked and charts were added and replaced by more accurate charts with subsequent editions. Verner notes that 64 different chart titles have been recorded from the editions he examined.
"For British trading in North America and for the colonists there, the publication of The English Pilot: The Fourth Book must have been a godsend. For the first time an English sea atlas presented charts of the whole eastern seacoast of North America. To modern eyes the charts are crude and sparse of detail; but to the navigator of American waters in that period, it was his Bible. Whatever its shortcomings, there was really no substitute, no real competitor, for over sixty years" - William P. Cumming, British Maps of Colonial America, p. 39.