A striking wall map of the world at the end of the 18th century

A large and rare chart of the world, decorated with a title cartouche featuring a naval officer examining a chart and a midshipman using a sextant, and four compass roses. In the bottom corners are two text panels giving instructions on how to measure distances correctly on the map. There are still several cartographic inaccuracies, for example: Tasmania is still connected to mainland Australia; Nova Zemlya is too wide; and Hokkaido is made up of a group of large islands. The map was originally drawn up by Carington Bowles but does not seem to have been published before his death in 1793. This example, published by his son Henry Carington Bowles and Samuel Carver, has the earliest date we have traced. Another later edition, updated with Vancouver's discoveries in Canada and the Bass Strait in Australia, was issued c.1800. An unusual undissected issue of this map.