A General And Particular Description Of America Chart Of America In General - An Outdated Map Of The Western Hemisphere Published At The Start Of The 18Th Century. Herman Moll

This fantastic and uncommon map of North and South America presents many popular cartographic myths from the late 17th century. Perhaps most obvious is California depicted as a large island, a geographic misconception that originated in a Spanish chivalric romance novel written during the early 1500s. Nearby, the semi-legend Strait of Anian is labeled, a predecessor to the Bering Strait and the alleged outlet of the Northwest Passage. Even further west lies the Strait of Vries and the Land of Iesso (generally interpreted as Hokkaido, Japan). Numerous phantom islands are dotted throughout the Pacific, though Abel Tasman's explorations are reflected in the Solomon Islands and the coast of 'New Zeeland'. Another prominent mythical feature is the site of Manoa on the shores of Lake Parime in South America. This location is allegedly the home of El Dorado, the city of gold, and the target of a famous expedition led by Sir Walter Raleigh. Descriptive text at the bottom of the page and continued on the verso provides a fascinating contemporary history and geographic overview of the New World. The map was designed by Herman Moll and published around 1700 as part of the Thesaurus Geographicus. A New Body of Geography. Sheet Width (in) 7.9 Sheet Height (in) 11.5 Condition Description Trimmed left margin and light soiling along the outer edges of the sheet. Uneven lower margin. Overprinted title, as issued. Very good condition overall