The production of views to assist navigation and pilotage into foreign harbours was by the mid-1770s and increasingly accepted and required practice.  Indeed as far back as 1759 the British Admiralty issued instructions that all ships were required to make accurate observations as to the state of home and foreign coasts.  Where artists (or those able to draw) were on-board ship they should provide illustrations. 

This is a third state edition which, like the coloured second state has coastal elevations increased and vessels added to all views where the first state offers no such detail.  The five engravings or views of New York Harbour presented here had the plate worked up in aquatint and the sepia images give a very soft feel to presentation.   Printed on Bates paper, sepia gives a very artistic feel to the images.  It is well worth viewing the 1779 published Des Barres, Knight and Hunter chart of New York Harbour (Heritage Chart A203) to place the views and see what a navigators of the time would have seen when entering the harbour.