"A New & Exact Map of the Coast, Countries and Islands Within ye Limits of ye South Sea Company...", Moll, Herman

Subject: Western Hemisphere, South America
Period: 1711 (circa)
Color: Hand Color
Size: 25.6 x 19.4

This is a fascinating and uncommon map of South America that includes the southern portion of North America with the island of California and Central America. The sheet also has twelve smaller inset maps, including Chiloe Island, Acapulco, the Galapagos Islands, the Isthmus of Darien, Straits of Magellan, Juan Fernando, the Gulf of Nicoya, the Gulf of Fonseca, Port Baldivia (Valdivia), the sea route from England to the Orinoco, the Bay of Guayaquil, and, interestingly, an inset of the phantom Pepys Island. Pepys Island was named for Samuel Pepys by Ambrose Cowley in 1684, who placed it a couple hundred miles north of the Falkland Islands. Many expeditions attempted to locate the island, and it is assumed it was a misplaced member of the Falkland Islands. The top three insets are printed separately and joined to the main map, indicating this is the second state per McLaughlin. The map is filled with indications of currents, trade winds, and compass roses. The decorative cartouche in the map of Guayaquil contains a dedication to Robert, Earl of Oxford.

References: McLaughlin #181.
Condition: B
A fine impression, issued folding and now flattened, on a lightly toned sheet. There are archival repairs to several fold separations, a number of short edge tears, and a couple of small chips along the edges of the sheet. Despite being somewhat brittle along the edges, this map presents well.