Hand-drawn chart depicting the area around Bermuda. Lines of longitude and latitude are rendered in ink with graphite guiding lines visible underneath.
Under the title: "The Bermudas or Summer's Islands From a Survey by C. Lampiere / Regulated by Astronomical Observations.
Text beside Meridian line: "Meridian of St. George's Town. 64 degrees and 48 minutes west from London, by observation made of two eclipses of the moon in the years 1722 and 1726."
Text in a boxed-out area at bottom appears to be printed, as the area is surrounded by what looks like an impression line. "The bermudas or Summer's Islands, so named from Juan Bermudes a Spaniard who first discovered them, and from Sir George Summer one of their first English settlers, lie in the Atlantic Ocean above 200 leagues from Cape Hatteras in North Carolina which is the nearest land. Hurricanes and tempestuous weather are very frequent in their seas, and the American navigators call them Horse Latitudes, because, on account of the violent gates of wind they meet in traversing them, they are obliged to throw oberboard the horses which they are carrying to the West-India Islands and to the Dutch Settlements at Surinam. Their coasts are extremely dangerous being surrounded, chiefly on the north side, with innumerable rocks, most of whom are always above water. The channels, sounds, and harbors are so shoaly, that it is scarce possible for a vessel to be carryed into them without the assistance of a good pilot. What makes the Bermudas still more dangerous is the current which sets to the N.E. from the Gulf of Florida: it is found to be very strong near these islands. Insomuch that vessels bound from the southern and northern plantations, have been thereby insensibly caried 40 or 50 leagues to the Eastward of Islands, when people were expecting in that latitude to find themselves at as a great distance to the westward. the Spanish flotilla, coming in 1722 from Havana to Old Spain was by that current carried so far out of its true course, that had it not been for the shifting of the wind, which happen'd just when the pilots saw the danger they were in. 15 galleons must have been wrecked on the western coastof these islands. The variation of the needle here is inconsiderable as well as the tide which in common does not rise above five feet.
The Bermudian Settlers are about 10,000. They are a handsome well looking people. Humane, generous, and extremely kind and hospitable to the few strangers who have come amongst them. Their principle and most profitable employment is building of sloops and small brigantines & snows of an excellent and most durable cedar wood. which they had once growing among them in great plenty , but from the great consumption is now on the decline. It is incorruptable and never touched by the worms: vessels built of it run for a long time, perhaps 6 or 7 years, without requiring the least repair, not even calking. They are of a peculiar construction, and all of them very fast sailors. These islands have quarries of a soft white stone of which the inhabitants carry cargoes to the continent. They produce very fine mulberry-trees, and abound in a great variety of wild foul, chiefly of the aquatic kind. Their sounds and surrounding seas are well stored with fish, and Ambergrease is sometimes met with among their rocks in lumps of considerable bigness."
On the lower left edge of the chart: "Off this end of the island from S.W. to W.N.W. are great number of rocksat 3 or 4 leagues distance from from the land, whereby abundance of ships have been lost."
Beside the western coast of the island: "Here in the months of March, April, and May they fish for whales."
In the upper-middle portion of the chart: "Among these rocks which extend above three leagues to the N.E. are a great numbers of wrecks of vessels and amongst others that of a rich Spanish ship lost about the yer 1644. It was once discovered, but id now always fished for in vain."
