1868 Admiralty Chart (No 2085) of the south coast of Africa from Cape St Francis to Waterloo Bay

Admiralty Chart No. 2085, Cape St. Francis to Waterloo Bay (first published 24 April 1867), covers the vital Eastern Cape coastline from St. Francis Bay through Algoa Bay to Great Fish Point at the mouth of the Fish River, at a working scale of about 1:250,000. Compiled chiefly from Francis Skead’s 1857–60 surveys, the chart provides dense soundings, seabed notes, and hazard markings, particularly around Algoa Bay, the open roadstead that underpinned the rise of Port Elizabeth as the region’s principal port. Features such as Roman Rock, Thunderbolt Reef, and the Cape Recife Lighthouse (first lit in 1851) are carefully plotted, while marginal annotations warn of the dangerous easterly gales and swell conditions that often wrecked vessels at anchor. Though less naturally sheltered than Table Bay or Simon’s Town, Algoa Bay became a hub for wool exports and frontier trade, and the Admiralty’s hydrography reflects its growing importance just before breakwater construction began. Issued on the eve of the Suez Canal’s opening in 1869, Chart 2085 captures the south coast at a time when the Cape route was still the main maritime highway to India and Australia, and it remains an invaluable record of the pre-harbour era of Port Elizabeth and its hazardous approaches.

This map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character.  There may be marks and fold lines visible which add to the authentic look.  The map is printed on 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish.  Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers and therefore a matte finish best represents the original map.