18 Captain James Cook – Chart of the Friendly Isles (Tonga) – Copperplate Engraving – 1777

The engraving represents one of the most accurate and comprehensive 18th-century depictions of Tonga, particularly the islands of Tongatapu, Nomuka, and Haʻapai. Cook’s careful charting helped secure the archipelago’s place in European navigation and contributed to the growing cartographic understanding of the South Pacific.

James Cook (1728–1779) was a British explorer, navigator, and cartographer whose three voyages to the Pacific transformed European geographic knowledge. His second voyage (1772–1775) confirmed the nonexistence of Terra Australis and produced extensive mapping of Polynesia. This chart was published in A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World, under the supervision of William Strahan and Thomas Cadell, London.

Artist or Maker: Captain James Cook

Dimensions: 29 × 43 cm

Medium: Copperplate Engraving

Date: 1777

Condition Report:

This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.