1745 (dated)
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Description
This is a 1745 Buache edition of Guillaume De l Isle s beautifully engraved 1725 map of the island of Hispaniola or Saint Domingue, modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is based on, but not a rote copy of, Amédée-Françis Frézier s 1722
Isle de S. Domingue et débouquemens circonvoisins. As such, it is one of the best-informed maps of the island available: Frézier had been sent to Saint Domingue in 1719 to oversee the fortification of the French Colony, and during the course of these labors he also produced his 1722 map. Even so, the map s topographical features are largely rendered pictorially. Lakes, rivers, and towns are marked and named, including Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince. The map includes descriptive notations to flesh out these details: toute ce milieu de l isle est montueux et presque desert, for example. (All this central part of the island is mountainous and nearly deserted.)