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Auction 187, Lot 305

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"A View of the Entrance of the Port of Acapulco", Anson, George

Subject: Acapulco, Mexico

Period: 1748 (circa)

Publication: A Voyage Round the World…

Color: Black & White

Size:
19.3 x 7.4 inches
49 x 18.8 cm
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This sweeping view of the port of Acapulco was published in the chronicle of Anson's travels. It shows ships in the Pacific against a mountainous backdrop. Acapulco and its port were important to the mission of Commodore George Anson, who captured a Spanish treasure galleon traveling between Acapulco and Manila.

In 1740, George Anson set sail in command of a squadron sent to attack Spanish possessions and interests in South America. The expedition was ill-equipped and failed to carry out its original ambitious mission. By June 1741 when Anson reached Juan Fernandes, his force had been reduced to only three of the original six ships, while the strength of his crews had fallen from 961 to 335. After launching several attacks on the west coast of South America and recuperating on the island he collected the remaining survivors on his flagship, the Centurion, and set sail in search of one of the richly laden galleons that conducted the trade between Mexico and the Philippines. The indomitable perseverance he had shown during one of the most arduous voyages in the history of sea adventure gained the reward of the capture of an immensely rich prize, the Nuestra Señora de Covadonga, which he encountered off Cape Espiritu Santo on June 20, 1743. From here he sailed back to Canton before traveling through Southeast Asia and around the southern tip of Africa. He made his way back to England, arriving in Spithead in June 1744.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) G.ANS-1a.

Condition: B+

Issued folding with some light toning, a small hole in the engraved image, and a faint dampstain at right.

Estimate: $70 - $90

Sold for: $11

Closed on 4/27/2022

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