Fine example of Cook’s famous map showing a detailed survey of the coastline between the Endeavour Strait and Cape Tribulation in modern Queensland, Australia.

This survey was made during Cook’s first voyage (1768-71) while aboard the sloop Endeavour, after which the Strait was named. Cape Tribulation was named after the Endeavour scraped a reef while sailing over unknown waters and almost sank before the crew managed to ground it on what is now as Endeavour Reef. This is marked and labelled on the map. The ship was repaired and Cape Tribulation was named to acknowledge the anxiety that Cook and the crew were subjected to while in the area. The notoriously treacherous patch of reefs and rocks along the coastline, today known as the Great Barrier Reef, is aptly named as “The Labyrinth”.

This example of the map was published from the 1773 English edition issued by Strahan and Cadell. [AUNZ2951]