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A precise and navigationally detailed sea chart of Port Morant on the south coast of Jamaica, derived from a British survey conducted in 1873 and later issued by the United States Hydrographic Office under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy. This edition, updated through April 1914, includes both bathymetric soundings and coastal land features.
The chart depicts depths in fathoms (with individual soundings throughout the bay), coral shoals, sandbanks, cultivated land, and topographical features such as Leith Hall and the prominent "Red Cliff." Notable locations include Battery Point, Prospect Point, Cotton Tree Spit, and the harbor mouth flanked by Emerald I. and Pero Point. The position of the “Marine Tel. Sta.” indicates the growing integration of communication infrastructure along colonial shipping routes in the early 20th century.
A coastal elevation profile at the bottom illustrates the visual aspect of the shore as seen from the southeast, showing the approach to Battery Pt., Red Cliff, Kelly Ho., and Bowden Ho. from the sea.
Context
Port Morant was historically one of Jamaica’s earliest points of European settlement and remained a significant anchorage for sugar and banana exports. By the late 19th century, when this survey was first published, the port continued to serve as a key British maritime station. This U.S. Hydrographic Office edition reflects growing American interest and engagement in Caribbean navigation following increased political and commercial presence in the region after the Spanish-American War.
![Plan des Havres de Port Antonio et de Saint Francois Situes a la Coste du Nord Est de l'Isle de la Jamaique [Map of the Harbors of Port Antonio and Saint Francois Located on the North East Coast of the Island of Jamaica]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/81607.jpg)
![Cuba Insula [with] Hispaniola Insula [with] Ins. Jamaica [with] Ins. S. Ioannis [with] I.S. Margareta [with] Havana portus](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/95302.jpg)
