Just one of a series of beautiful surveys completed by Admiralty surveyor Anthony De Mayne.  This particular chart details the a potentially important harbour in the chain of Outer Abaco islands, an area which at the time the British were conscious of knowing little about.

In typical 'style' De Mayne spares nothing by way of detail and information:  Soundings are given aplenty and De Mayne makes subtle use of colour around the shore-line in a style which runs throughout all of his original work.  Standardize Admiralty surveying symbols for tide directions, rocks, shoals, sandbanks and anchorages are all employed by the surveyor in the drawing of the survey.  The bulk of the hydrographical information is centered on the channels around Whale ‘key’ with little information supplied south toward Great Guana island.

On Green Turtle 'Key', De Mayne marks a ‘settlement’.  This is New Plymouth.  In I817 New Plymouth had a population of about 200 and it had risen on the foundation industries of fishing, lumbering and wrecking, with some fruit growing on land on Great Abaco Island adjacent.  The Island itself is of course named for the abundance of green turtles, which were prolific at the time.

In De Mayne’s own hand are sailing directions in to the harbour of Green Turtle Key along with a description of important land-marks such as the ‘high sandy cliffs’ and the rocks which lie in wait.  He makes the point that fresh water and wood may be procured.

As with so many original survey manuscripts later additions and corrections have been added, including the correction of spelling and the outline, in pencil, of a subsequent chart to be copied from this original.

On a point of accuracy, and out of interest, De Mayne gives the South east end of Green Turtle 'Key' a longitude of 26º45' 0', and a latitude of  77º 10' 50'.  With the benefit of modern satellite technology, the same point is in fact at 26º 75', 77º 32' (see note A below).  

The overall effect of this beautiful survey is to engage the viewer in the detail and information provided through the artistic presentation.  It give the sensation of comfort to the sailor simply because every inch of the area has been visited by De Mayne and expertly recorded.

Note A.  Tempting as it may be to test De Mayne’s skill as a surveyor by sailing and navigating by his survey, Heritage Charts accepts no responsibility for such actions and advises against such activity.)

A Brief History of Abaco and the Outer Islands

Not until after the American Revolutionary War had finally ended in 1782 did the Bahamas and the outer islands of the Abaco take-on a noticeable, if not significant, role in history.  With the expulsion of Loyalist sympathizers from their colonial holdings in 1782 the British government, which in itself had only until November 1783 to vacate the city of New York, its last holding in America, struggled to find refuge for it’s vanquished and now penniless supporters.  England apart, Canada was one option, the Abaco islands was the other.

The first ship full of emigres had left New York in August 1783 for a land which British surveyor John Wilson described as being ‘..one fifth part of the face of the country is nothing but rock’.  He went on to describe the suitability of whatever soil there was as being suitable only for; cotton, vegetables & guinea corn.  As an estimation of sustainability Wilson’s survey proved to be ‘optimistic’ in as much as it would take a level of expertise and land management to fulfill the promises and hopes of the British government and the emigres, which frankly didn’t exist.

By the 1790 civil unrest was boiling over, especially amongst the races.  Initially, it seems, indenture had been implemented forcing even free blacks to ‘belong’ to whites. Many of the former slaves who had  ‘emigrated’ complained that they thought, under British law that they would be free. With shortages of all kinds social order was further under threat.  Agriculture had failed due to inefficient land management, cotton never developed as hoped on Abaco although it had on the southern islands of Eleuthera.  When the provisions supplied by the British government had run out, starvation had taken hold for many. 

Many of the original Loyalist immigrants had moved away to Nassau or beyond. Only fledgling settlements and communities survived.

A second immigration of people, this time from the more southerly Eluethera islands, brought expertise in boat building, fishing and wrecking and these three industries in particular proved the way forward for many with towns such as New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay and Hope Town on Elbow Cay springing-up and developing as a direct result of these industries. 

References: 

'Abaco: The History of an Out Island and its Cays'.  Steve Dodge, Professor of History, Millikin University, Third Edition (2005). White Sound Press.