"A Map of the Icy Sea in Which the Several Communications with the Land Waters and Other New Discoveries are Exhibited", Gibson, John

This is a very interesting map of the Northern Hemisphere, based on the work of Jean Palairet with an Icy Great North Sea surrounding the North Pole. Contrary to custom, Europe is located at left with America on the right. The course of the imaginary Northwest Passage is depicted from Portugal to Japan straight across the Pole. The northern part of North America consists of highly distorted landmasses, including an elongated peninsula (or possibly island) where Alaska and the Aleutians are today, which is noted as being discovered in 1753. There is also a massive Sea of the West and a few, speculative Northwest Passages noted, reminiscent of the cartography of Buache.

References: Jolly GENT-141.

Condition: B

Hinge remnants on verso, some offsetting, still very attractive.