CARTE DE L'ISLE DE LA JAMAIQUE

£100

An attractive and detailed French map of the island of Jamaica, showing and naming regional divisions and places along the coast. The country's name is derived from an Aarawak (aboriginal Indian) word "Xaymaca", meaning "land of wood and water". Soundings are shown in the bigger harbor areas. Embellished with mountains, compass rose and title cartouche

code : M131

Cartographer : Jacques-Nicolas BELLIN

Date : 1758 Paris

Size : 21*32cms

availability : Available

Price : £100

share :

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was one of the most important and prolific French cartographers of the mid-eighteenth century, in the service of the French Hydrographical Office. He was appointed the first Ingenieur Hydrographe de la Marine, and also Official Hydrographer to the French King.

Bellin was responsible for an enormous output of charts and maps. In a large folio format, he issued a volume of sea-charts of France, the Neptune Francois, and several sea-atlases of the World, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These large charts were amongst the best of the period and continued being reissued throughout the second half of the eighteenth century.

In smaller format, he issued the Petit Atlas Maritime (1764),which contained 580 detailed charts, as well as maps to illustrate l'Abbe Prevost's Histoire Generale des Voyages (1746-1757). Bellin also produced a substantial number of important separately issued maps, particularly reflecting continuing discoveries and political events in the Americas.