John Mount (1725-1786), Thomas Page III (1730-1781) and William Mount II (1753-1815)
The English Pilot. The Fourth Book describing the West-India Navigation, from Hudson's Bay to the River Amazones. London: Mount and Page, 1784.
Extremely important atlas of sea-charts of the whole of the North American eastern seaboard, used by at least two different contemporary colonial sailors to navigate the seas between Maine, Boston and the West Indies. 'The first significant collection of charts exclusively of the American coasts to be published in England' (Cumming, p.9). The series of English Pilot books was started in 1671 by John Seller, whose charts derived from the Dutch pilot books of Pieter Goos. 'Seller's English Pilot initiated the independent production of pilot books in England which ultimately overcame Dutch predominance' (Koeman, IV, p. xiii). 'For British trading in North America and for the colonists there, the publication of The English Pilot: The Fourth Book must have been a godsend. For the first time an English sea atlas presented charts of the whole eastern seacoast of North America. To modern eyes the charts are crude and sparse of detail; but to the navigator of American waters in that period, it was his Bible. Whatever its shortcomings, there was really no substitute, no real competitor, for over sixty years' (William P. Cumming, British Maps of Colonial America, Chicago & London 1974, p.39). This work was in such high demand that 37 editions were published from 1689 to 1794, as were three pirated editions. During the history of publication, the charts went through numerous changes, starting with the addition to the 18 charts in the first edition to an eventual 26 in the final (this edition has 22). Nearly every chart in the Fourth Book was reworked and charts were added and replaced by more accurate charts with subsequent editions. Verner notes that 64 different chart titles have been recorded from the editions he examined. Due to its practical nature and use, copies of all editions are quite rare. Phillips Atlases 1171; Verner Bibliography of the Fourth Book of the English Pilot.

Folio (470 x 300mm). 22 engraved charts, all but one double-page, of which 13 folding, 4 engraved maps in the text, numerous woodcut coastal profiles throughout (variable spotting and soiling to charts, 3 folding charts with tiny holes at creasefold joins but without loss, title with fore-edge margin repaired and a number of other text leaves with margins strengthened, corner of pp.55-56 chipped and repaired with some associated tears running into text affecting a few letters). Contemporary calf (rebacked and recornered, extremities lightly rubbed, ring mark and light scoring to upper cover).

Samuel Lindsay of Old York, Maine (bought in Boston for 36 ?shillings; ownership inscriptions and fragmentary logs on endpapers, margins and blank versos throughout of three or more voyages in the brig York and the sloop Polly between Boston and Maine and the West Indies, March 1787 – September 1789); ownership inscriptions also of Joseph Lindsay and William Lindsay of York (presumably family members);

David Baker (bought from Daniel Sewall Vandieu at Old York, 7 August 1790, for £1: ownership inscriptions, notes in eccentric orthography on blank versos throughout recording voyages up to July 1795 in schooners Diligent and Saucy, some highly dramatic including a note of a near-shipwreck on 31 December 1790, another voyage ‘stearing North for the Vinyard’ complaining ‘this is the worst Tim that Ever I seaid in my Life for I Expect to starve to Death I[f] thear haint som Relief sewn’; receipt for a purchase at Salem, 3 September 1797, pasted inside u.c.); further contemporary signature of Captain William Sawyard, 1791.

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The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

The condition is as described in the main cataloguing, and is commensurate with age, use and materials used. The listing of the maps is as follows with additional notes on condition:

1. A New and Correct Chart of the Western and Southern Oceans. Double-page and folding. Letterpress text panels joined to left and right of map. Tiny tear to creasefold join without loss, some scattered spotting and soiling

2. A New and Correct Chart of the north part of America from New Found Land to Hudson's Bay. Double-page.

3. A New Generall chart for the West Indies. Double-page.

4. A New and Accurate Chart of the vast Atlantic or Western Ocean. Double-page and folding. A few scattered spots south of Labrador fishing banks

5. A chart of the sea coast of Newfoundland. Double-page. Heavily soiled and spotted.

6. The harbour of Casco Bay. Double-page. Lightly spotted and soiled.

7. A new and correct chart of the coast of Newfoundland. Double-page and folding. Top right-hand margin lightly soiled and frayed and sometime strengthened

in the text - Island of St Peters. Chipped at lower margin and repaired just touching image

8. A chart of the south-east coast of Newfoundland. Double-page and folding. Tiny tear to creasefold joint without loss, a few spots to centre of image, trimmed just into longtitudinal scale at top margin

9. A map of the coast of New England from Staten Island to the Island of Breton. Double-page and folding. Heavily soiled and spotted, tiny tear to creasefold joint without loss, some old paper used to strenthen creasefolds on verso.

10. Draught of New York from the Hook to New York Town by Mark Tiddeman. Double-page. Top edge trimmed close to printed frame.

11. Virginia, Maryland, Pennslyvania, East & West New Jersey. Double-page and folding. Quite fresh and clean

in the text p.28 - Barbados. A few spots in sea area.

12. A draught of Virginia. Double-page. Light impression

in the text p.32 - Antigua. Faintly soiled.

13. A new mapp of the island of St Christophers. Double-page.

14. A draught of South Carolina and Georgia. Double-page and folding. Left-hand edge creased and folded, trimmed close at head just into longitudinal scale, right-hand fore-edge frayed and soiled and sometime strengthened.

15. A correct chart of the Caribbee Islands. Double-page. Spotted and soiled.

16. A correct chart of Hispaniola. Double-page and folding. Spotted and soiled, some old paper used to strengthen creasefolds on verso.

17. A draught of the west end of Porto Rico. Double-page and folding. Trimmed close at head.

18. A new and correct chart of Cuba. Double-page and folding. Tiny nick in left-hand margin repaired, a couple of faint spots.

19. A new and correct chart of the bay of Matanzas on the north side of Cuba. Single-page. Small rust stain affect one rhumb line only.

in the text p.52 - Bermuda

20. A new and correct chart of the island of Jamaica. Double-page and folding. Faint offsetting and soiling.

21. A chart of the coast of Guayana. Double-page and folding. Faint offsetting and soiling.

22. A new and correct chart of the trading part of the West Indies. Double-page and folding. Trimmed close at edges but without loss, good, strong impression with only faint soiling.

Print Report