<em>Answer:</em> Cartography (the art of making maps) was so important in Cook's lifetime because "so much of the world was unknown" which made traveling the seas on a ship difficult because of the lack of direction. Not only this but maps gave people sailing the seas a more successful way to navigate to the places they needed to be.
<em>Explanation: </em>+The world was unknown, maps gave sailors a way to better navigate the ocean.
+ If there was even a small error on a map it could lead a ship tons of miles off course of where they needed to be.
Sorry if this was a bit wordy, but I hope it helps! :)
Cartographers had to make the maps for cook because cook needed to get to his hippopotamus that lived in west Egypt. Cook did not know how to get there if not for cartographers.
