The scarce two-sheet map of Florida, the Bahamas, and the Gulf Coast extends west to Cabo del Norte, Louisiana. The map was derived from Jeffrey's The West Indian Atlas, first published in 1775. Le Rouge copied many of Jeffrey's maps for his compilation of charts, Pilote Americain Septentrional. This highly accurate and elegant chart was one of the earliest relatively accurate map of the region, and served as a reference tool for the French navy. The hydrographic detail of the coastline and the channels in the Bahamas is excellent with soundings, shoals and other important features noted in both French and English. etail 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 road from Fort St. Marks to St. Augustine is shown. Names Cap Canaveral, St. Augustin, Tampa Bay, and Port Charlotte. 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." The map is handsomely adorned with rhumb lines, a huge compass rose, and numerous sailing ships, including a fleet in the gulf with the notation "The Flota's Track from la Vera Cruz to Havanna to avoid the Trade Winds."

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) M.LER-1a #28-29.

Condition: A

A crisp impression with attractive color on watermarked paper. There are archival repairs to a chip in the top blank margin of the eastern sheet and several short edge tears that do not enter the image.