Carte de la Californie et Des Pays Nord Ouest Separes de L'Asie par le Detroit d'Anian

Paris, 1772. Very good condition. One of the first studies in comparative cartography, here are two maps of the west coast of the United States from the Strait of Anian (modern day Alaska) to the tip of Baja California, one inset on the other, and with intriguingly different interpretations of the same area. These are extracts based on maps by Vischer of 1612 and 1641, and appeared in the Supplement to Denis Diderot's Encyclopedie. Both maps showing the fictitious Strait of Anian at the top; it was part of the legendary Northwest Passage, the long hoped for link of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, whose existence many explorers attempted to prove, and which James Cook challenged in his third voyage of 1778. The smaller inset map shows much more of the Strait, along with an open sea, making a suggestion of a Northwest Passage. The coastlines vary in both maps, with the smaller one listing important place names such as C. de San Francisco and los Farilones; while the larger shows the Bay of San Miguel (current day San Diego). The larger map showing a section of coast where the Sierra Nevada are drawn called "Nova Albion", which was explored and claimed for England by Sir Francis Drake; the smaller map showing the entire west coast area as "Mexicana". Image sie: 12 3/4 x 12". Paper size: 18 1/2 x 15 1/4". Pedley #473; Wagner #632; Wheat # 159.