1792 D’ENTRECASTEAUX Joseph Antoine TG348

Scarce copper engraved map of the south-west coast of Western Australia from Rottnest Island to the head of the Great Australian Bight showing the tracks of Recherche and Esperance in December 1792 and January 1793. Relief shown by soundings.There is an inset top centre showing Fragment de la Carte des Decouvertes des Hollandais; Tire de La Collection des voyages de Tevenot.(Thevenot)In the lower left margin the engravers name, Ecrit par J.P. Besancon and the in the lower right margin, the price PRIX 1f 50c. This is Plate no. 11 taken from the Atlas du Voyage de Bruny-Dentrecasteaux, Contre-Admiral de France, Commandant les Frigates la Recherche et l’Esperance, fait par Ordre du Gouvernement en 1791, 1792 et 1793Publie par Ordre de sa Majeste l’Empereur et Roi, sous le Ministere de son Excellence le Vice-Amiral Decres … / par C.F. Beautemps-Beaupre. Paris Depot General des Cartes et Plans de la Marine et des Colonies, 1807, which accompanies Voyage de DEntrescasteaux, Envoye a la Recherche de La Perouse; Redige par M. de Rossel. ParisDe lImprimerie Imperiale, 1808.The Prime meridian is taken from Paris.Joseph Antoine Bruny-dEntrecasteaux was born at Aix in Provence in 1739 and died at sea in 1793. He entered the marine service at the age of 15, and soon won praise for his work as a hydrographer. He became governor of the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon. Later in 1791 he was put in charge of the expedition to search for la Perouse. During his voyage he explored, mapped and named many places on the coast of Australia. Baie de la Recherche, Port dlEsperance, Detroit dEntrecasteaux etc. The atlas Atlas du Voyage de dEntrecasteaux Envoye a la Recherche de la Perouse was published in Paris in 1807.The charts prepared for dEntrecasteaux mostly by Beautemps-Beaupre were of a very high quality and Matthew Flinders, the English explorer and hydrographer calling them the finest specimens of marine survey. The contribution made by dEntrecasteaux to the mapping of the southern coast of Australia was indeed considerable.Tooley, R.V The Mapping of Australia and Antarctica pg 73; Ref 550