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This striking, large-format map of the Western Hemisphere provides a detailed representation of the Americas and the Pacific, highlighting the routes of significant 18th-century explorers, including Captain James Cook, Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, George Vancouver, Richard Pickersgill, and John Gore, as well as many others.

The northwest coast of America is depicted with considerable detail, although large sections remain uncharted, reflective of the incomplete knowledge of the region at the time. The map traces the voyages of several explorers who ventured into this unknown territory. Captain James Cook's three expeditions (1768–1779) were pivotal in charting the Pacific, including the exploration of the Pacific Northwest, the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands (then called the Sandwich Islands), and his mapping of New Zealand. Cook's third and final voyage, in particular, explored the coasts of Alaska in an attempt to find a Northwest Passage. 

Richard Pickersgill, a British naval officer who accompanied Cook on two of his expeditions, is also noted on this map for his contributions to the charting of the North Pacific and Arctic regions. John Gore, another prominent figure on Cook's voyages, commanded the HMS Resolution after Cook’s death and completed the expedition's objectives, charting further routes through the Pacific and Arctic regions.

The map prominently features New Zealand, now correctly depicted as two islands, thanks to the efforts of Cook and earlier explorers. The Western Pacific is dotted with newly explored islands, with the tracks of these voyages providing critical insights into one of the most significant eras of maritime exploration.

The Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), shown on the map, had been visited by numerous explorers during this period, becoming a key stopover for ships crossing the Pacific. These islands served as an important point of reference and resupply for voyages charting the unknown waters of the Pacific Ocean. 

The following is a summary of some of the explorations shown:

The images you provided include tracks of several renowned explorers across the Pacific Ocean, and I will expand on and clarify the details of their journeys:

1. Captain James Cook (1728–1779) – One of the most significant British explorers, Cook made three major voyages to the Pacific:

   • First Voyage (1768–1771): On the Endeavour, Cook's primary mission was to observe the 1769 transit of Venus in Tahiti. Following this, he explored New Zealand, mapping its two islands, and then charted the eastern coast of Australia, which he claimed for Great Britain.
   • Second Voyage (1772–1775): Cook embarked on a mission to find the fabled southern continent. Although he disproved its existence within the temperate zone, he did discover several Pacific islands. His journey is marked in the images with dates such as January 1774.
   • Third Voyage (1776–1779): This was aimed at finding the Northwest Passage. During this expedition, he mapped parts of the North American west coast and returned to the Pacific, eventually reaching the Hawaiian Islands (Sandwich Isles), where he was killed in 1779.

2. Jean-François de La Pérouse (1741–1788) – A French naval officer and explorer, La Pérouse was sent by King Louis XVI to explore the Pacific and beyond:

   • He is best known for his expedition from 1785 to 1788, during which he charted the coasts of Alaska and California and visited Easter Island, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. His track from 1786 is visible on the map, including his journey towards Kamchatka and across the northern Pacific.
   • Tragically, his expedition disappeared in 1788, and only much later were the wrecks of his ships found near Vanikoro.

3. George Vancouver (1757–1798) – A British officer in the Royal Navy, Vancouver's expedition from 1791 to 1795 focused on the Pacific Northwest:

   • Vancouver explored and mapped the Pacific coasts of North America, including detailed surveys of the coastline from California to Alaska. His track is visible in 1792 and 1793 across the Pacific, with notable stops such as the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands).

4. Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729–1811) – A French admiral and explorer, Bougainville was the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe:

   • His 1766–1769 voyage, visible on the map, took him to the Pacific, where he visited Tahiti, Samoa, and other islands. Bougainville's travels opened the Pacific to further French exploration and were a major milestone in French exploration.

5. Philip Carteret (1733–1796) – A British naval officer, Carteret circumnavigated the globe between 1766 and 1769:

   • His journey, conducted alongside Bougainville, brought him to several previously uncharted islands, including the Pitcairn Islands and parts of the Solomon Islands. His tracks are seen from 1767, and Carteret’s contribution to Pacific exploration included detailed records of the islands and their inhabitants.

6. Byron's Voyage (1765–1766) – Captain John Byron (1723–1786) led an expedition to circumnavigate the globe in HMS Dolphin:

   • His discoveries included islands in the Pacific such as the Duke of York Island (noted on the map) and some of the Solomon Islands.

7. Pedro Fernández de Quirós (1565–1615) – A Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain, Quirós led an expedition in 1606 in search of Terra Australis:

   • He discovered several islands in the Pacific, including Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides (modern-day Vanuatu), which he believed to be part of the southern continent. His explorations are noted near the Solomon Islands on the map.

8. Carteret and de Bougainville (1767) – Both explorers, while on separate missions, encountered the Queen Charlotte Islands (now Haida Gwaii). Their 1767 voyages are prominently charted, with Carteret’s discoveries noted near the Solomon Islands.

9. Sir Richard Hawkins (1562–1622) – An English seaman and explorer, Hawkins followed in the footsteps of his father, Sir John Hawkins, as a prominent figure in the Elizabethan navy. In 1594, Sir Richard embarked on his own expedition to explore the South Seas and Spanish territories in the Americas.  His expedition, recorded on the map as "Sr. Rd. Hawkins 1594," took him along the western coast of South America, near present-day Peru and Chile. His journey was part of England’s efforts to disrupt Spanish shipping and to explore the Pacific coasts of South America. Hawkins was ultimately captured by the Spanish, and his account of the voyage became an important source of knowledge about navigation and the Pacific.

10. Captain Sever (1788) – Captain Sever was a British naval officer who undertook a significant voyage in the Pacific during the late 18th century. His 1788 journey, labeled on the map as “Cat. Sever from Port Jackson to Tahiti,” reflects an expedition from Port Jackson (modern-day Sydney, Australia) to Tahiti, one of the many voyages during this period aimed at expanding British presence and exploring the South Pacific. Sever's travels occurred in the context of Britain establishing its penal colony at Botany Bay, and Tahiti was a key point for provisioning and further exploration.

11. Álvaro de Mendaña (1542–1595) – A Spanish explorer who is best known for his early expeditions into the Pacific in search of the legendary Terra Australis. Mendaña’s 1595 expedition, noted on the map with “La Cruz de Mendana 1595,” was one of the earliest European voyages into the South Pacific. He discovered and named several islands, including the Solomon Islands, which he believed to be part of a vast southern continent. In his 1595 expedition, he also attempted to colonize the Marquesas Islands and the Santa Cruz Islands, near present-day Vanuatu, where he ultimately died. His explorations were critical in mapping the South Pacific, despite the failures of colonization efforts.