MCGEE] CARTOGRAPHIC IMPERFECTIONS CIRCA 1700 63 



Isle'', while "Pimeria" is loeated correctly with respect to Rio Gila, 

 though too close to the sea, aud "R. Soiiora" is located too far south- 

 ward, with a province of the same name just north of it. Thei'e is no 

 reference to the Seri, but a locality in Lowei- California opposite Sonera 

 is named ''Gigante".' Quite similar is the ma]) of North America 

 drawn and engraved by R. W. Seale about 17li2, though the provinces 

 of Pimeria and Sonora are brought closer together, while the magnified 

 Gila is named Colorado ("Tison R." also being retained).^ The map of 

 North America presented to the Due de Bourgogne by H. laillot about 

 1720 is much the same; the "Isle de Californie" is separated from the 

 continent by "Mar Vermejo ou Mer Rouge" with four islands, of which 

 the southernmost, "I. de Gigante", lies somewhat below the separate 

 mouths of "R. de Tecon" and "R. de Coral", while the extravagantly 

 magnified Gila of previous ma])s is partially replaced by a still more 

 extravagant "R. del Norte", rising in a mythical lake above the forti- 

 eth parallel and falling into the gulf under the thirtieth.-' The map of 

 Mexico and Florida by Guillaume "De I'Isle", published in Amsterdam 

 by Covens and Mortier, 1722, patently begs the question as to the 

 northern extension of " Mer de Californie" by cutting off the cartography 

 at the critical point. "R. del Tison" is retained as a subordinate river, 

 while the separate and greatly magnified Gila corresponds with that of 

 the laillot map, the upper tributary being "R. Sonaca ou de Hila"; 

 "R. di Sonora" is depicted in approximate position, with the province 

 of the same name extending northward and "Seris" located a little 

 above the mouth of the river. No islands are shown in the vicinity, 

 but the name " Gigante" appears on the western coast of the gnlf, about 

 latitude 2G'=>.< The map of North America by the same author, sup- 

 posed to date about 1740 though probably earlier, recalls the Van der 

 Aa map of 1090 ( ?) ; "Mer de Californie ou Mer Vermeille" ends doubt- 

 fully about latitude 'M'^, where "R. de bona guia" aud "R. de Coral" 

 bound the "Campagne de bona guia", and fall separately into the gulf 

 nearitshead; the "Pimases", "Herises", "Sumases", "Aibinoses", and 

 "Ahomeses" are distributed thence southward along the coast to about 

 the twenty-eighth parallel, while a nameless island stretches parallel 

 with the coast of "Sonora" from about 28° to 32°.^ 



With one or two exceptions, these maps demonstrate the prevailing 

 neglect or ignorance of the classic explorations along the western coast 

 of America early in the sixteenth century; yet they introduce features 

 representing vague knowledge of the Seri Indians and their insular 

 habitat, undoubtedly derived (like that of Padre Kino and Sergeant 

 Escalante anterior to their expeditions) from native sources. 



'Doubtless the mountain "LaGiganta", named by Admiral Otondo toward tbe end of the seven- 

 teenth century (Docunientas para la Historia de Mexico, ouarta s6rie, 1857, tomo v, p. 122), and noted 

 by Hardy in 1826 (Travels in Interior of Mexico in 1825, 182li, 1827, and 1828, London, 1829, p. 243). 



*A map of North America, with the European Settlements and wliatever else is Remarkable in ye 

 West Indies, from tbe latest and best Observations, (American maps, loc. cit., 110.) 

 ^Amerique Septentrionale Divis/^e en Ses Principales Parties. (Ibid., 109.) 



■"Carte du Mexique et de la Floride, des Terrt-s Aiigloises et des Isles Antilles, etc. (Ibid., 136.) 

 ^L'Amerique Sejitentrionale . . . par G. de I'Isle: Amsterdam, Chez Pierre Mortier. (Ibid., 172.) 

 The island is, of course, Santa Inez. i. e., Angel de la Guarda. 



