Bligh Map of Hawaii, 1785

This hand-colored map shows the Hawaiian Islands, called the "Sandwich Islands" at the time, as they were understood by European explorers in the late 1700s. The islands appear in soft greens and reds, scattered across a pale sea dotted with thin lines that mark the routes ships took. In the bottom corner you can see the big island of Hawaii, labeled "O'Why'hee," with its mountains drawn in delicate shading. An inset on the left zooms in on Kealakekua Bay, the very spot where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779.

The name attached to this map points to William Bligh, who served as sailing master on Cook's final voyage and was known for his skill at charting coastlines. Bligh later became famous, or perhaps infamous, for the mutiny aboard HMS Bounty in 1789. Maps like this one were prized in their day, blending careful measurement with hand-applied watercolor that gave each copy a slightly personal touch. It is a useful window into how outsiders first recorded these islands, and a reminder that behind every old chart there are real voyages, real discoveries, and sometimes real tragedy.