GULF OF MEXICO 



19 



navigation along the coasts of America was fully 

 recognized in England. Among tlie many charts 

 published tliere chiring the first half of the 

 eighteenth century that of Henry Popple, issued 

 in 1733 on 20 sheets with an index, is of particular 

 interest. This large chart, measuring 232 by 

 239 centimeters has the following title: "A Map 

 of the British Empire in America with the French 

 and Spanish Settlements adjacent thereto." A 

 prospectus attached to the first impression con- 

 tains a detailed description of the map. The 

 Librarj' of Congress has three impressions, one of 

 which is imperfect. 



About the middle of the eighteenth century 

 the Spanish Government, feeling the need for 

 more accurate information regarding the extent 

 of its dominions in the New World, demanded by 

 the royal decree of 1741 the submission by local 

 authorities of detailed suveys of their adminis- 

 trative districts. Data thus obtained were 

 summarized by Don Jose Antonio de Villasenor y 

 Sanchez, Auditor General of the Department of 

 Quicksilver, who enjoyed a reputation as a 

 "distinguished mathematician, accurate historian, 

 and a good citizen" (Bancroft, 1883-86, v. 3, p. 

 510). The entire undertaking resulted in the map 

 issued in 1746 under the title, "Icomismo hidro- 

 terro 6 Mapa Geographico de la America Sep- 

 tentrional" (original in Arch. Gen. de Indias, 

 Seville ; copy in Library of Congress) . In the same 

 year the Spanish Government detailed Fernando 

 Consag to explore the upper part of the Gulf 

 coast. A reproduction of his map is given by 

 Bancroft (1883-86, v. 1, p. 463). 



Jacques Nicolas Bellin, an engineer of the 

 French navy, was probably the most outstanding 

 cartographer of the second half of the eighteenth 

 century. In carrying out official orders of the 

 French Govermnent he made a detailed survey of 

 the coast of Louisiana and of the course of the 

 Mississippi River, drew a plan of Pensacola Bay 

 (1742), published marine atlases and many maps 

 (BeUiu 1749, 1755, 1764). His map of the Gulf 

 of Mexico and of the islands of America, issued 

 in 1754 and published in volume 12 of Prevost's 

 Histoire generale des voyages (1746-89, pp. 8-9), 

 illustrates the state of geographical knowledge of 

 that time. One can see from this map (fig. 6) 

 that the configuration of the Gulf, especially along 

 its west coast, is still incorrect, and the shape of 

 the Florida Peninsula is far from being true. 



250D34 0—54 3 



In this respect, as well as in the manner of drawing 

 and the angularity of the coastal line, BcUin's 

 map resembles the one prepared by liis predecessor, 

 Royal Cartographer D'Anville, in 1731 (fig. 7). 

 Although the outlines of Florida are almost identi- 

 cal in the two maps, it is interesting to note that 

 Bellin does not show such a fantastic array of 

 bays and sounds as are indicated in the southern- 

 most part of Florida by D'Anville. 



One of the most notable documents of the 

 second half of the eighteenth century is a map of 

 the British and French dominions in North 

 America published in London by John Mitchell in 

 1775 in accordance with the Act of Parliament 

 (Mitchell 1755, 1757). The original of one of the 

 earlier issues, identified by only one insert (Hudson 

 Bay) instead of four in the later editions, can be 

 found in the library of Harvard University. A 

 copy of a French edition of 1756 is in the Library 

 of Congress. 



Mitchell's map was first used by American and 

 British diplomats at the Paris peace conference of 

 1782-83 after the surrender of Cornwallis at 

 Yorktown. Since that time it had been referred to 

 and quoted as an authentic document in many 

 boundary disputes between the United States and 

 European countries. 



The Harvard University copy has an interesting 

 quotation from John Adams attached to the map 

 which reads as follows: "We had before us ... a 

 variety of maps but it was the Mitchell's map 

 upon whicli was marked out the whole boundary 

 lines of the United States." The map shows only 

 a small section of the northern part of the Gulf of 

 Mexico between longitudes 83°4' and 97° W. and 

 latitudes 28°20' and 30°20' N. Tampa Bay is 

 still called Baia del Espiritu Santo, and there are 

 interesting notations regarding the depth of the 

 water "20 feet water over the Bar of Pensacola the 

 Chief Harbour hereabout" and the depth of "Y* 

 Missisipi" stated to be "18 feet water into Balise, 

 12 feet over the Bar, 45 feet within, 50, 60, and 100 

 afterwards." 



In 1764-71 George Gauld ordered by the 

 British Admiralty to make a survey of the coast 

 of the provinces of West Florida and Louisiana, 

 produced a map known as "Admiralty Chart." 

 He also gave accounts of his surveys of Florida 

 and sailing directions in the West Indies and 

 Florida Keys (Gauld 1790, 1796). Several edi- 

 tions of Gauld 's maps were issued in the United 



