DESCRIPTION:
Original 1817 French nautical chart titled Carte reduite des cotes de la Guyane comprises entre les bouches de la riviere des Amazones et celles du Maroni, issued by the Depot de la Marine. The chart depicts the mouth of the Amazon River from Rio Araguari southward and extends north along the coasts of Brazil into French Guiana and Suriname as far as the Maroni River. Engraved on thick chain-laid paper, the sheet bears the circular stamp of the French hydrographic service and reflects official early nineteenth century maritime survey work.
The map records numerous coastal and riverine features, native villages, missionary sites, and geographic landmarks as known at the time. Place names include Cayenne, Kourou, St. Paul, Cape Orange, and Mt. Tripoupou, with interior village references near the Tumuk Humac mountains. Notation on the chart reflects the limited European penetration of the interior during this period, consistent with contemporary exploration accounts such as those of Alexander von Humboldt. Soundings, offshore islands, and coastal configuration are shown throughout, emphasizing navigational utility.
Charts issued by the Depot de la Marine formed the core of French naval hydrography during the early nineteenth century and remain important records of Atlantic coastal surveying. Early examples in original state are increasingly scarce. This sheet offers documentary value for collectors focused on South American exploration, colonial maritime networks, and the technical development of European hydrographic mapping.
The Depot de la Marine was established in 1720 under the French Ministry of the Navy to collect, preserve, and publish nautical charts, sailing directions, and maritime intelligence for the French naval service. Its purpose was both archival and practical: to centralize geographic knowledge gathered from voyages, surveys, and colonial administration, and to convert that information into standardized charts for navigation. Over the eighteenth century the Depot became the principal hydrographic authority of France, issuing engraved sea charts that incorporated data from naval expeditions, colonial outposts, and scientific voyages.
Following the French Revolution, the institution was reorganized and its chart production expanded, particularly during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as global maritime competition intensified. The Depot de la Marine supervised official surveys, revised earlier charts, and maintained copperplates for continued reissue as coastal knowledge improved. In 1886 it was formally reorganized as the Service hydrographique de la Marine, the predecessor of today’s French hydrographic office. Charts bearing the Depot imprint remain important records of French naval activity, colonial expansion, and the technical development of European hydrography.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1817
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Brazil
BODY OF WATER: Amazon River
CONDITION: Very good.
Minor staining at right corners well outside the neatline. Slight offsetting but otherwise very nice condition overall with wide margins well past the prominent plate line. Strong impression.
COLORING: None
ENGRAVER:
SIZE: 23
" x
35 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 67
PRICE: $1300
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