VIRGINIA CARTOGRAPHY. 19 



The map differs only in delineation from Witli's map, has no 

 additional information in the part relating to Virginia, but ex- 

 tends farther north, taking in the coast as far as Cape Breton. 



Captain John Smith's Map of Virginia, 1608. 



If we knew nothing of Captain John Smith but what is con- 

 veyed to us by his map of Virginia, it would alone entitle him to 

 rank pre-eminently high among great explorers and carto- 

 graphers. 



Journeying along unknown streams in a country where at 

 every step lurked danger from enmity of the savage inhabi- 

 tants and discord among his followers. Smith made a map which 

 is an authority to the present day, and when compared with 

 other maps of his day, impresses us with the genius of the man 

 who combined in himself so many characteristics of greatness. 



In the boundary dispute between Virginia and Maryland in 

 1873, Smith's map was used as an authority, and prior to that it 

 was the foundation upon which all maps of Virginia were con- 

 structed. Its topographical correctness is remarkable, and the 

 knowledge of Indian names and localities has been a rich har- 

 vest from which historians have abundantly reaped. 



Major Jed. Hotchkiss, the greatest authority on the geo- 

 graphy of Virginia, writes the following letter, dated October 5, 

 1883, published in Arber's reprint of Capt. John Smith's works: 



" I am sorry to say that about the only information we have 

 concerning the location of Indian tribes at the time of the settle- 

 ment of Virginia is to be found on Smith's map, a marvel of 

 results in representation of outline compared with the time occu- 

 pied in procuring information. The same region is shown on 

 the small map I send you from the actual survey of a century 

 (1774- 1 874), yet Smith had all the important features of our 

 wonderfully developed coast well shown." 



In eloquent words our great historian, George Bancroft, in 

 his History of the United States, pays tribute to the ability of 

 Smith : 



" Disgusted at the follies which he had vainly opposed, Smith 

 undertook the perilous and honorable office of exploring the 

 vast bay of the Chesapeake and the numerous rivers which are 



