Antique Map by Gerard Mercator “Americae Descrip” 1607

MERCATOR, Gerard (1512-1594) — HONDIUS, Jodocus (1563-1612). Americae Descrip. Amsterdam: J. Hondius, 1607 or later. Hand-coloured engraved map from the Atlas Minor Geardi Mercatoris but copied cartographically from Hondius’s 1606 folio map of America. The engraver’s initial ‘S’ appears lower right. Hondius published this revised edition of Mercator’s map 12 years after the latter’s death.  Note the variety of decorative illustrations.  The great Terra Australis is still in evidence, but the Great Lakes have not yet made their appearance.  Hondius interestingly indicates that navigation is possible from the mouth of the Amazon to the mouth of the Rio Plata.  The area combining the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico has been named “North Sea.” This scarce early hand coloured map of America is from an early edition of the Mercator-Hondius Map of America, first published in Amsterdam in 1607.The most noteworthy feature on the map is the unusual Northwest Coast of America, which pre-dates Hondiu’s revision of the map to include a more definitive Northwest Passage near Quivira. The map extends westward nearly to the Asian Coast, with just a narrow Strait of Anian between. No Great Lakes are shown. Usual projections for California and Florida. Sivola is named in the west. Large Terra Australis Incognita still appears, connected to New Guinea.A terrific early map of the Western Hemisphere. Includes Sea Monsters and sailing ships. Nice early treatment of Nova Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Massive Terra Australis dominates the Southern Hemisphere. Small tear outside plate line middle left. Condition – good. See watermark.