Impressive Four-Sheet Map with Updated Pacific Northwest Cartography

"[On 4 Sheets] A New Map of the Whole Continent of America, Divided Into North and South and West Indies. Wherein Are Exactly Described the United States of North America...", Laurie & Whittle

An impressive, four-sheet map of North and South America, originally drawn by John Gibson in 1763 with a slightly different title. The map went through several revisions, this being the final state. The huge map is filled with incredible detail and is based on D'Anville's cartography, as well as Spanish explorations on the west coast of North America and the journals of Governor Pownall in New England and Canada. The new United States is shown with its boundary on the Mississippi River. This updated edition (still dated 1794) has removed the speculative River of the West and features updated coastlines in the Pacific Northwest including Vancouver Island and Puget Sound. The Cascade Range appears for the first time on this map adjacent to the coast including Mt. Hood. At lower left is an inset map of Hudson and Baffin's Bay. Above the inset is a large text panel listing of the states and the colonial possessions of the various European powers. The baroque style title cartouche features a beaver, a crocodile, an Indian headdress amid trees, a waterfall, and tropical flora. This example is joined in two long, horizontal sheets, joining the two northern and the two southern sheets. If fully joined, the map would measure 46.5 x 40.7".

References: Stevens & Tree (MCC-39) #3f.

Condition:

Contemporary outline color with some light offsetting. On the southern sheet, a 2" fold separation at bottom has been closed on verso with old paper. Northern sheet (A) / Southern sheet (B+). The first image is a composite image - this map is joined horizontally into 2 sheets.