The Harbour of Rhode Island and Narraganset Bay

Published by J F W Des Barres, 1781

The Hydrographic Office was founded in 1795 to provide the Royal Navy with accurate charts and surveys of their areas of operation. That proud tradition has been maintained to the present day and over the years famous surveyors and explorers such as Cook, Flinders, Vancouver and Bligh have contributed to this task. Among these famous names Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barres stands pre-eminent.

The request of the Admiralty for charts of the coasts of Nova Scotia and the American colonies launched Des Barres on ten active years of continuous surveying. He returned to England in 1774 and was immediately engaged on publishing his charts of the North American coast. The outcome was an unparalleled series of views and charts that appeared under the title ' Atlantic Neptune'.

This chart was probably based on the surveys of Charles Blaskowitz or John Wheeler around 1770. It details the movements of the French

fleet under the command of Admiral d'Estaing in the campaign to dislodge the British from Rhode Island and the surrounding area. The positions of the British forces are reported in the Notes and References on the chart and the fate of each Royal Navy vessel is also described