Scarce Italian map of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America & Asia

Italian map charting the North Pacific Ocean, thenorthwestern coastlines of America and Asia, illustrating both Captain James Cook’s voyage of 1778-79 and John Meares’ expedition of 1788-89. The map was issued to accompany the Italian edition of Meares’ important travel narrative, reflecting growing European interest in Pacific exploration and the lucrative fur trade. Meares, a former British naval officer, sailed to the Pacific Northwest in 1786 and again in 1788, operating from Macao under Portuguese flags to bypass British trade restrictions. He established a trading post and shipyard at Nootka Sound, raising the British flag and building the schooner Northwest America, actions which drew the ire of Spanish authorities, who also claimed the region. The seizure of Meares’ ships by Spain triggered the Nootka Crisis, a major diplomatic standoff that nearly led to war. The ensuing Nootka Convention of 1790 affirmed British trading rights and curtailed Spanish territorial claims in the Pacific Northwest.