Title of the map:

"LES COSTES AUX ENVIRONS DE LA RIVIERE DE MISISIPI Decouvertes par M. de la salle en 1683 et reconnues par Mr le Chevallier d'Iberville en 1698 et 1699, Par N. de Fer Geographe de Monseigneur le Dauphin, 1705".


Unusual antique copper engraved map of Mississippi, by Nicolas DE FER.

This unusual map focuses on the French explorations in the Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast, and is the first map to incorporate the Spanish discoveries in the region. Here, De Fer highlights information gleaned from the expeditions of La Salle and Iberville with the primary purpose of showing the progress of French exploration in the region. La Salle had explored the Mississippi from the north in 1682-83 and returned by sea to establish a French colony in 1685. He missed the Mississippi delta and landed on the Texas coast, an error probably due to his inability to calculate longitude and because prominent maps of the period placed the mouth of the river far to the west of its true location. In 1686, Spanish pilot Juan Enriquez Barroto set off in search of La Salle's colony and made detailed records of estuaries and landmarks along the Gulf Coast. Although his map is lost, it was copied on a manuscript chart by Juan Bisente, who was captured by the French in 1697 along with his map. As a result, De Fer was able to include the new and more accurate Spanish information on his map, in particular the southeastward trending lower course of the Mississippi River, which had been incorrectly depicted on previous maps. The map also shows the basically correct relationship of the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. The site of La Salle's ill-fated colony near Matagorda Bay in modern-day Texas is shown and the title cartouche also dramatizes the explorer's tragic death at the hands of his own men. 

The map is engraved by Vincent de Ginville. As a result of combining both French and Spanish explorations, De Fer was able to produce the most accurate map of the region for its time. 



Nicolas De FER (1646-1720) is one of the famous geographe of 18th century. His earliest wellknown map of the canal de Languedoc, realised in 1669. 
In 1697, he published his first world atlas. 
In 1695, De Fer, with several other notable French mapmakers, became founding contributors to the French Bureau of Maps and Plans. 
This bureau, created to deal with the technical and strategic problems of overseas commerce and exploration, was part of the Royal Academy of Sciences' Ministry of the Navy and Colonies. 




Size with margins : 39,7 x 27 cm / 15,3 x 10,6 inches

Condition : very good condition

Edition : Paris, dated 1705, 18th Century.






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Due to the age an type of paper, some imperfections are to be expected. Please examine the images provided carefully, and if you have any questions please ask and we will be happy to help you.