New Guinea Fish and Crab

Illustrations of fish and crab from New Guinea
(Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, D.C.)

The waters of New Guinea teemed with exotic fishes and crabs, which were faithfully depicted by William Dampier’s artist. When Dampier’s book A Voyage to New Holland was published in 1703, illustrations like these—along with Dampier’s vivid prose—introduced enthusiastic readers to plants, birds, and fish they had never seen before. The book became a bestseller.

Tags: Scientific illustrations