Nova Francia et Regiones Adiacentes

“One of the foundation maps of Canada” [Philip Burden]

This copperplate engraved map of the St. Lawrence River and the northeastern coast of North America covers a broad territory in New England and New France between modern-day Cape Cod and Newfoundland. Its cartography provides one of the cornerstones of the mapping of Canada, being the primary source for Blaeu, Coronelli, and others into the late 17th century.

Place names and geographic features are labeled throughout, with pictorial elements highlighting the rugged terrain, Native American villages, and forests in abundance. Prince Edward Island is shown somewhat accurately for the first time, and this is one of the earliest depictions of a north-south orientation to Lake Champlain. Also of interest is the western fringe of the Grand Banks, a rich fishing ground that provided vital sources of food for early colonists and traders across the region. Several place names, such as the Port aux Basques and the Isle de Bacalaos reference this important trade.

The map was published in Leiden in 1630 as part of Johannes de Laet’s Nieuwe Wereldt often Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien (Description of the West Indies). The work was originally issued in 1625 and contained ten maps – this is from the slightly updated version that contained fourteen maps and an additional 100 pages of text, reflecting the increased interest of the Dutch in the New World.

Described by Philip Burden as “arguably the finest description of the Americas published during the seventeenth century,” the maps in de Laet’s work were based directly off the cartography of Hessel Gerritsz, considered by some to be the foremost mapmaker of the Dutch Golden Age of Cartography. Gerritsz was the exclusive cartographer for the Dutch East India Company and had access to some of the most up-to-date information available. His maps are generally only available in manuscript form and those published by de Laet are some of the few available to collectors today.

Johannes de Laet was no slouch, either, and he used meticulous research and contemporary sources when compiling his geographic data. As a director of the newly formed Dutch West India Company, the latest information from private correspondence, manuscripts, and other company secrets would have also been made available when compiling the maps.

Sources: Shirley (BL Atlases) G.LAET-1b, Burden #230