"Hemisphere Occidental", Brion de la Tour/Desnos

The mapmaker devised an interesting method to depict the conflicting theories on the true nature of the Pacific coast of North America. Philip Buache's concepts, including the mythical Mer de l' Ouest and B. de l' Ouest with its Northwest Passage, are engraved in faint hachure and colored in yellow. While the ideas of Gerhard Friedrich Muller, which includes the fabled River of the West (R. de l' Ouest) connecting through a network of lakes into both Lake Superior and Hudson Bay, are shown by a solid line. There is no sign of Antarctica and the coastline of New Zealand is indistinctly shown. The oceans are filled with the tracks of the major explorations. The map is surrounded by a decorative rococo-style border, printed from a separate plate as the map.

References: McGuirk #129.

Condition: B+

Original color on watermarked paper with light color offsetting, two minute worm holes in bottom border, and a hint of toning along sheet edges.