Paris: (n.p.) 1764.

(Carte Des Cinq Grands Lacs Du Canada) Originally published in "Le Petit Atlas Maritime." This excellent small map of the Great Lakes appeared in Bellin’s Petit Atlas Maritime, an extraordinary five volume work containing several hundred maps. His Carte Des Cinq Grands Lacs Du Canada reflects French interest in the region and shows Indian land, forts, missions, rivers and lakes, plus some trails and portages. Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (born Paris 1703, died Versailles 21 March 1772) had a distinguished 50-year career as one of France’s leading cartographers. In 1721 he was appointed hydrographer to the French Navy upon the creation of France's hydrographic office, the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine. Appointed "ingénieur hydrographe" in August 1741, he was also a member of the Académie de Marine and of the Royal Society of London. His maps of Canada and the French territories in North America (New France, Acadia, Louisiana) are particularly valuable. Of particular note are the four spurious islands of Philippeaux, Pontchartrain, Maurepas and St. Anne in Lake Superior and the fictitious mountain range in Michigan. When the map was first produced, explorers sought in vain to find the four islands in Lake Superior, and though they were never found that remained on maps for 100 years after. In the end, it was discovered that the Jesuit priest Charlevoix had invented the islands to honor his patron Jean Frederic Phelippeux, Comte de Maurepas, whose family estate was named Ponchartrain and whose Patron Saint was St. Anne. Rich with Indian information, notes, early French forts and other early features. The map was compiled from the Chaussegros de Lery manuscripts. The lakes of this map have original hand coloring and outlining. (Schwartz & Ehrenbar p.162; Karpinski p.137) vg/--.

ISBN: none.

[Item #MAP00064]