An important and decorative map of North America. Based on Henry Briggs’s map of 1625, the first to show California as an elongated island, this map was published by the influential Hondius publishing firm. The firm’s prestige throughout Europe helped advance the myth of California as an island. Place names in California are given for Cape Mendocino, San Francisco, Point Reyes (shown south of San Francisco), and San Diego. Hondius compiles material from a variety of sources, improving the Briggs model in some respects, but still showing limited and inaccurate knowledge of the continent. Using the material of Hessel Gerritsz, Hondius produced better outlines for the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. However, the Northeast coastline is too long and oriented too far to the East. The lower reaches of the Mississippi are shown, along with an extensive and inaccurate river system in the Southeast. The Great Lakes region contains a single lake, named the Lake of the Iroquois. Animals are depicted throughout the continent, including moose, deer, wolves, sheep and horses. Sailing ships ply the oceans, and the map is embellished with two decorative cartouches. Latin text edition.

Ref.: Tooley (America), p.113, #6.