[Two-sheet watercolor panorama of Valapariso, accomplished by an American naval officer] by CHILE - [William M. HUNTER, 1st Lieutenant] - 1825

[South America, 1825. Pen-and-ink and gray wash, with white gouache highlights, on wove paper watermarked Hatman W. Balston & Co, sheets measuring approximately 12 1/2 x 18 1/8 inches each. Uniformly matted. South American panoramic watercolour by an American naval officer and talented artist aboard the USS Franklin, the flagship of the first American Pacific squadron. Attribution to Hunter is based on similar views found in the logbook of the USS Franklin located at the Huntington Library. The log book was kept by First Lieutenant William M. Hunter on board the ship, which departed from New York in October 1821, returning in 1824. The 74-gun American war ship, commanded by Charles Stewart, was the principal vessel of the newly designated American Pacific squadron, tasked with protecting American whaling vessels on South American coast amidst the ongoing independence movement.