This is the first state of this fine, large sea chart covering the Gulf coast from Cabo del Norte, Louisiana, through Florida to the Bahamas. This naval chart is one of the most important maps of Florida, being the earliest relatively accurate map of the region. The hydrographic detail of the coastline and the channels in the Bahamas is excellent and it remained the standard sailing chart for the Florida seas during the last part of the 18th century. Detail is primarily confined to the coastline with harbors, inlets, bays, river entrances, soundings, rocks, shoals, and currents carefully noted. Several forts, settlements and villages are located and the start of the road from Fort St. Marks to St. Augustine is shown. The map is ornamented with a dramatic compass rose, rhumb lines, and a fleet of sailing ships marking "The Flota's Track from la Vera Cruz to Havanna to avoid the Trade Winds." In this first state, the bay at the mouth of the Mississippi River is unnamed but bears a note "Shallow Water with many small Islands but very little known." This two-sheet map is part of the sixteen-sheet map of the West Indies that formed the heart of this important Revolutionary-period atlas. Sheet number DG.4 printed at upper right, and the imprint of Robert Sayer at bottom.

References: Sellers & Van Ee #1608; Stevens & Tree #26.

Condition: A

The chart has a crisp, bold impression on bright paper with original outline color. There are three tiny pinholes in unengraved portions of the map, and a couple of minor spots. Still a very good example. Linen hinge remnants on verso.