File:L'Afrique, Dressée Sur les Observations de Mrs De l'Academie Royale des Sciences, et quelques autres; & sur les Memoires les (MAPS 86).jpg

Copper engraving handcolored with watercolor.

Outline color.

Relief shown pictorially.

Contains two watermarks.

Printed in cartouche in upper right corner: "L'Afrique, Dressée Sur les Observations de Mrs. De l'Academie Royale des Sciences, et quelques autres; & sur les Memoires les plus recens. Par G. De L'Isle Geographe A Paris. Chez l'Autheur Sur le Quai de l'Horlage Avec Privilege du Roy, pour 20 Ans 1700."

Illegible text from previous engraving visible beneath title cartouche.

Printed in decorative ribbon beneath title cartouche: "N. Guerard Ira. et Fecit."

Printed in lower left corner is an "Avertissement" with a scale comparing French marine leagues, Spanish marine leagues. German leagues and French leagues. Printed within Avertissement: "Comme il y a plusieurs choses sur cette carte et sur les autres qu j'ay mises au jour qui sont differentes de ce qua se trouve sur les cartes qua ont paru jusquicy, il est apropos d'avertir icy que cela n'est point arrive par inadvertence, et que je rends raison de ces changemens dans la Nouvelle Introduction a la Geographie."

Written in ink in upper right corner: "71."

Depicts Africa and divides it into five major regions: "Barbarie" as northern Africa, "Haute Guinée as the west Africa coast, "Nigritie" as central Africa, "Abissinie" as east Africa, and "Pays des Cafres" as south and southeastern Africa. These regions are then divided into smaller areas such as Royaumes, Estats, etc. (Betz, 497). Shows Niger River as flowing east to West into Lake de Guarde. Also shows the origin of the Nile River as Lake Tana in Abyssinia. In South Africa, a smaller unnamed river is shown which is most likely the Sabia River. Dutch settlements in southern Africa are labeled including Fort des Hollandois and Hollenbok. Cities and geographical features are highly detailed in west Africa, Abyssinia, the Congo, southeast Africa on Zambezi River and South Africa reflecting the extent of European exploration in those regions. (Betz, 497). The eastern edge of Brazil, southern Europe, the western edge of Asia, and Madagascar can be seen. This is one of the first maps that shows the correct longitude for the Mediterranean Sea thus leading to the correct width for northern Africa. Surrounding the title cartouche are illustrations of elephants, an ostrich, a native on a horse, and one fighting with a crocodile.

Prime Meridian: Isle de Fer.

Guillaume de L'Isle (1675-1726) was a cartographer and the Premier Geographer to the King in France beginning in 1718. His family played a significant part in the world of French cartography in the eighteenth century. At age 9, he drew his first map and at age 27 he became a member of the Académie Royale des Sciences. He studied under Jacques Cassini, acquiring knowledge in both mathematics and astronomy. Due to his academic background and his "critical approach to the maps of his predecessors," he became known as the first "scientific cartographer" (Moreland and Bannister, 132). Among his works are "Globe, map of the world and the four continents" (1700), "Atlas de Géographie" (1700-12), "Mississippi" (1701), "Carte du Mexique et de la Floride…" (c.a. 1703), "Carte de la Louisiane et du Mississippi" (1718) and posthumously, "Atlas Noveau" (1730 and later). Following his death, his widow, Marie Angélique de L'Isle took up the business with a partner, Philippe Buache (Tooley 395; Moreland and Bannister, 131-2). This particular map was first published in De L'Isle's "Atlas de Geographie" in 1700. The map follows the geographic information known of this part of Africa current to the time period and became a landmark in the mapping of Africa. The map was frequently copied by other mapmakers throughout the eighteenth century (Betz, 495-7). Betz points out that the map leaves out two Ptolemaic source lakes for the Nile River and uses the correct longitude for the Mediterranean Sea, leading to the correct width for northern Africa. Betz notes the inclusion of detailed mapping for European settlements in west Africa, Abyssinia, the Congo, southeastern Africa on the Zambezi River and southern Africa (497). De L'Isle's sources for this map were based only on information that could be verified. He drew on the work of De Fer and Coronelli as well as information from French political expansion into Africa. Source(s): Betz, Richard L. "The Mapping of Africa: A Cartobibliography of Printed Maps of the African Continent to 1700." 't Goy Houten: Hes & de Graaf, 2007. Delaney, John. "To the Mountains of the Moon: Mapping African Exploration, 1541-1880." Accessed 2 Jan. 2009. "Moreland, Carl and David Bannister. "Antique Maps: A Collector's Handbook." New York: Longman Group, Ltd., 1983. Tooley, Ronald Vere. "Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers." Hertfordshire: Map Collector Publications Limited, 1979.

• Subjects (LCSH): Africa-Maps-Early works to 1800.