Andrew David - Hydrographer and Hydrographic Historian, United Kingdom, Discussing the creation of maritime charts

When the survey was done, a rough sketch would be done with all the soundings and everything else, and then, in the case of Vancouver anyway, Lieutenant Baker, who was the artist or draughtsman, he drew up a fair copy and these were used by engravers to engrave copper plates from which the charts were printed. This takes a matter of several years. And the process couldn't start, of course, until Vancouver got back to England.