Appearance of the land from the White Islands to St. Marys River taken two leagues off shore

Des Barres, Joseph F. W. (Joseph Frederick Wallet), 1722-1824 · 1781

This grouping of eight headland views paints a striking picture of the Nova Scotia coast, east of Halifax. Covering a geographic area from Beaver Harbour northeast to Milford Haven (a distance of 160 miles), these coastal profiles served a utilitarian purpose for mariners navigating the complicated Nova Scotia coastline. Artistic elements such as foreboding skies and ships mooring in the port were added for aesthetic appeal; however, the coastal representations themselves were provided for navigational purposes. These views are a major advance over the earlier, unsophisticated headland views available to navigators in such works as the English Pilot.