Les Indes Orientales

Italian edition of Vaugondy's map of the countries east and
west of the Ganges, namely India, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet and Myanmar.

The use of the River Ganges as a geographical centre point
on maps of the Far East was a feature which was used in the 17th century and
earlier.

This map was originally issued in 1755, although the date on
its cartouche is 1751, its engraving date. The source for its geography is
given as the "Neptune Oriental" a work based on the charts and
corrections of Apres de Mannevillette, a mariner employed by the French East
India Company.

Geographically, the most interesting addition on this map is
the detail in Tibet, based on D'Anville's map of 1737, the first European map
of the country to show any detail.
D'Anville sourced his work from the maps obtained by Jesuit missionaries in
China.

This is the 1779 edition issued in Venice by Paolo Santini.

Original colour. [SEAS5397]