1889 / 1947 St. Lucia Nautical Chart
DESCRIPTION
This British Admiralty chart of St. Lucia was originally surveyed in 1888 and published in 1889 and later reissued in 1947 and updated through 1953, reflecting more than six decades of hydrographic refinement. Produced during a period of expanding British maritime interest in the Windward Islands, the map combines detailed coastal soundings with a finely rendered portrayal of the island’s steep volcanic interior. A listed price, printed above the title cartouche, indicates the chart’s original cost to navigators and maritime offices.
Hydrographic Detail and Coastal Navigation
The chart presents St. Lucia surrounded by depth soundings measured in fathoms, with shoals, reefs, and bottom contours clearly delineated around the island’s irregular coastline. Several large compass roses aid in plotting bearings across the St. Lucia Channel and the Caribbean Sea. Anchorages and coastal settlements are noted at Castries, Soufrière, Vieux Fort, and Dennery, and navigational features such as points, bays, and shoal waters are precisely marked. No pasted-on correction panels appear on this chart, and the updating information is confined to marginal annotations.
Topography and Inland Features
The interior of St. Lucia is depicted in striking shaded relief, emphasizing the deep valleys and steep ridges that characterize the island’s volcanic terrain. The administrative divisions known as quarters are labeled prominently, including Gros Islet, Castries, Anse La Raye, Soufrière, Choiseul, Laborie, and Micoud. Settlements, cultivated areas, plantation roads, and estates are recorded across the island’s rugged slopes. The detail around Castries, including the harbor and adjacent elevations, reflects the importance of this port as the island’s principal urban center.
Historical Context
During the period covered by this chart’s survey and revisions, St. Lucia was a British colony and a strategically located harbor in the Windward Islands. Castries served as a coaling station and naval anchorage, contributing to the island’s role in Caribbean shipping routes. Agriculture, particularly sugar and banana cultivation, shaped the island’s inland landscape, while maritime traffic connected St. Lucia to neighboring islands and broader Atlantic trade circuits. Successive updates to the chart through 1953 record a period in which the island’s ports and navigational infrastructure were gradually modernized, reflecting the growing demands of twentieth century commercial and regional transport.
CONDITION
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