Carte réduite de la Mer du Sud selon la nouvelle Hypothèse de la Longitude. Le S[ieu]r. d'Anville. [by Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d' Anville (1697-1782)] Publication Date: 1736 Condition: Very Good

Title: Carte réduite de la Mer du Sud selon la ...

Publisher: Geographe Ord[inai]re. du Roy. [Paris].

Publication Date: 1736

Binding: Soft cover

Book Condition: Very Good

Edition: 1st Edition

Copper engraved map. 20.5 x 13 cm (impression size). Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d' Anville (1697-1782). Engraved by master engraver Guillaume-Nicolas Delahaye (1727-1802). "Delahaye sc[ulpsit]". Pasted down on contemporary linen backed folder with hand-written ink label on front. Fascinating sea chart, depicting Pacific Ocean immediately before wave of exploration that occurred from the 1760s to the 1790s. This fine chart, issued by Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d' Anville (1697-1782), of Pacific world as known by Europeans in 1730s, a time of their renewed interest in world's largest ocean. Includes west coast of Mexico up to roughly 24 degrees north latitude down west coast of South America as far as 40 degrees south latitude. Changing cartographic standards preferred fewer decorative additions, especially for working charts, this chart has few embellishments. Coasts of South America quite well-defined. Depiction of Australasia reflective of European interest in & ignorance of area. North coast of Australia up western shores of Gulf of Carpentaria reveals discoveries of various Dutch explorers, particularly Willem Janszoon's voyage of 1605-6 in what is today Queensland. Janszoon was in command of Duyfken, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship, & explored eastern shore of Gulf of Carpentaria, just below Cape York Peninsula. This venture was famously the first recorded European contact with Australia. Another VOC expedition also recorded here & huge influence on Pacific cartography of any voyage before Cook. Abel Tasman was charged by Governor-General of Dutch East Indies, Antonie Van Diemen, to seek out southern continent. He set out in 1642 and was first known European to chart Tasmania, initially named for Van Diemen, and to visit New Zealand. Northern most tip of New Zealand s coasts are included on this chart, but not Tasmania. On his second voyage, Tasman coasted part of New Guinea coast & Gulf of Carpentaria & as entirety of north of Australia. Although Tasman responsible for entirely new additions to European maps, his superiors (including Van Diemen) considered his voyages a failure & did not send further expeditions to locate southern continent. Here, New Guinea's coasts are partially based on Tasman, Janszoon, and Luís Vaz de Torres. Torres sailed through strait now named for him in 1606, but that knowledge was suppressed by the Spanish government and not made public until after this chart was published. Interestingly, West coast of Carpentaria is not attached to New Guinea, a nod to need for more information. Various islands dot the mid-Pacific. Those north and west of equator mostly discovered by Spanish vessels as part of treasure galleon route between Acapulco and Manila. South of the equator, various Dutch place names stem from several Dutch voyages, but especially le Maire & Schouten in 1615-17. Jacob Le Maire, along with Willem Schouten, circumnavigated via Cape Horn, the first ship to sail round South America instead of through Straits of Magellan. Some islands here were only hypotheses or fantasies. Eg. small unfinished coastline off the coast of Atacama, in Chile, marks land seen by David Ang in 1686 refers to island purportedly sighted by English buccaneer Edward Davis & reported by pirate-authors Lionel Wafer and William Dampier around turn of 18th century. The island became a fixture on maps but later proven to be a mis-identification of islands further east, due most likely to error that placed it 500 leagues, not 500 miles, from Chilean coast. Torres had been commanded by Pedro Ferdinand de Quiros, whose adventures also shaped the geography. This map precedes Brosses, 1756 invention of Polynesia and naming of Australasia. But this map is post Nicolas de Fer's lavishly adorned Carte de la Mer du Sud of 1713. Within a generation of this map, the east coast of Australia & all of New Zealand would be mapped & many mid-Pacific islands would be discovered (Tahiti & Hawaii) a turning point in history. Seller Inventory # 5132