This is an early edition of this large, influential map that had a long and varied publishing history. Originally published to illustrate the seat of the French and Indian War, the map went through numerous revisions and editions to document the expanding cartographic knowledge and political landscape of North America. This is a rare variant of third state - matching Steven and Tree's compilation except that it is missing Robert Sayer's imprint at bottom. The title was changed to eliminate the mention of the French Dominions. It incorporates several alterations in the Hudson Bay region and shows Lake Ouinipigon or Winipick for the first time on a printed map. The map provides an extremely detailed view of the continent just prior to the American Revolution. It locates hundreds of settlements and Indian villages and is filled with interesting notations referring to native tribes and historical events. A number of roads are shown on the map stretching all the way to New Mexico and New Navaar. There are two interesting inset maps. One shows the discoveries of Father Eusebius Kino in the Southwest that proved that California was not an island. The other illustrates the ongoing search for a Northwest Passage, showing Baffin and Hudson Bays with the fictional Lake de Fonte reaching nearly to Baffin Bay. The text of several articles of the Treaty of 1763 are engraved in the Atlantic Ocean. It is embellished with a bold title cartouche featuring Native Americans and indigenous animals. Printed on four sheets, joined into two horizontal pairs, as issued.

References: Stevens & Tree #49c.

Condition: B

There are some minor repaired tears including one that enters 2" into the map (lower center of top sheet). There is a bit of very minor foxing and offsetting.