A chart of the sea coast of New Foundland, New Scotland, New England, New York, New Jersey, with Virginia and Maryland

First published in 1689, John Thornton's chart of the north Atlantic seacoast illustrates the type of nautical charts available to navigators in the Fourth Book of the English Pilot, which was the standard resource for mariners at the time. The charts were flawed with numerous inaccuracies, and did not provide enough detail to have been truly beneficial to those sailing close to the shore. Many ships were damaged off the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia because accurate and comprehensive charts of the area were not available to those navigating to Canada from England. Featured here is state one from plate II. This new plate contains mainly bibliographical changes. This example is rare for its contemporary color, unusual in the English Pilot series. The chart showed all English ports in the Northeast, including Boston, Charlestown, and Dorchester.
Courtesy of Private Collection