This is the first edition of the striking four-sheet map of North and Central America with the West Indies. It is very detailed with towns, cities, forts, Indian villages and tribal territories in the interior, and shoals, banks and navigational hazards offshore. Includes a large inset of Hudson Bay with notations concerning the search for a Northwest Passage. This map is based on D'Anville's map of 1746 with several notable "additions and improvements." There are several lengthy notations reflecting the extreme nationalism in vogue during this period. In California is a note concerning the discoveries of Sir Francis Drake and the fact that they were not included in D'Anville's map, thus "rather than mention New Albion, as an English claim founded by Drake, the first circumnavigator, they castrate their own maps to blind his discovery." To the left of the decorative title cartouche in the Atlantic is a lengthy notation explaining the holdings of Britain, France and Spain. The title cartouche includes a female figure representing America and several putti, and a second decorative cartouche balances the composition in the lower left depicting a globe and mapmaker's tools, and several putti holding nets of fish and a bow and arrows. An extraordinary map beautifully engraved by Robert Seale, with the cartouches engraved by A. Walker. Four sheets, un-joined as issued with size given above as if joined.

References: Sellers & Van Ee #13; Wheat [TMW] #127.

Condition: B+

A clean and crisp example, issued folding. There is small tear just entering the map border of Plate III (upper left) that has been repaired on verso with old paper. The first image is a composite image - the map is in four separate sheets.