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Description

This official U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office chart (No. 1019) maps the Gulf of Panama and adjacent coastline, spanning from Morro Puercos in the west to Cocalita Point in the east. Originally based on British Admiralty surveys conducted in 1849, the chart was republished in Washington, D.C., in 1887 and brought up to date with corrections issued through April 2, 1915, as indicated by the Hydrographic Office’s red stamp at lower left.

The chart presents the coastline, islands, depths (in fathoms), and navigational hazards of this crucial maritime region, just south of the Panama Canal, with soundings, anchorages, reefs, and some topographic information rendered in contours. The Pearl Islands (Islas de las Perlas) are shown in detail, and coastal cities like Panama, La Chorrera, and Chiman are carefully marked. Numerous compass roses aid orientation, while coastal elevation is conveyed through hachures.

Like other Hydrographic Office charts of the period, this map was designed for practical navigation and printed with exceptional clarity. It reflects the geopolitical and logistical significance of the Gulf of Panama as a principal approach route to the isthmus and, by 1915, a maritime zone of increasing importance due to the near-completion of the Panama Canal (opened in August 1914).

Condition Description
Engraving on 20th-century wove paper. Some toning, namely at the right edge.