Item #7082 Virginiae partis australis, et Floridae. J. JANSSON.

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The Southeastern United States At the Time of Its Earliest Colonization
[Amsterdam, 1639]

Virginiae partis australis, et Floridae.

15 x 19 ¾ inches. Copperplate engraving with fine original color, refreshed; some reinforcement and offsetting, else excellent.

A map that combines elegant design with historical importance, it depicts the area from the lower Chesapeake Bay, down through North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the entire coastlines of South Carolina and Georgia, along through to northern Florida. The map reflects the growth of the English colony beyond the Jamestown settlement. The English royal coat of arms marks this area.
Less well known but shown on the map is one of the failed French colonies in Port Royal in South Carolina, whose inhabitants were massacred by the Spanish. Beyond this, there was little European presence in the Southeast at the time, as indicated by the predominance of Indian tribal names on the map on the area.
Because the area was still dimly known at the time, the map abounds in legends concerning the nature of the interior, man of which are of a tantalizing nature. One lake is reported by Indians to contain silver. Gold and silver are supposedly found in the Appalachian Mountains, which are shown on the map in Georgia. Another large lake on the map that is said to have a large falls emanating from it might actually be the mapmaker’s guess at locating Lake Ontario and the Niagara Falls
The map is a fine example of Dutch decorative engraving. Six well-drawn Indian figures flank the title cartouche, and three well-detailed sailing vessels and two compass roses provide added ornamentation.


* Burden 254; Cumming 42

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