THE RIVER HUMBER, 1734.

by John Scott

This reproduction is taken from an original document, held within the Archives of the Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset.

The chart of the River Humber is typical in style to the Dutch `Waggoners' which proved so popular with mariners during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It was sponsored by, and dedicated to, the Honourable Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs.

As was common in the eighteenth century, the chart was privately published.

The Humber was a particularly important river for trade goods entering into England, but due to the constantly shifting sand banks it proved to be a demanding test for navigators. The effects of shifting sand can still be seen to this day, with Sunk Island, then in the centre of the river, now firmly inland.

The ornate cartouche, featuring mermen and a trading scene, is again typical of the period, when the artistic detail was perhaps more important than accuracy.