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Rare first edition of the Hulsius map of the north part of South America, which appeared in his "Brevis & admiranda descriptio regni Guianae, auri abundantissimi, in America" Hulsius' edition of Sir Walter Raleigh's travels in America.
Very rare map of the northern part of South America, extending from the lower portion of the Caribbean, yet showing Cuba, to Brazil and Peru; handsomely embellished with natives, fauna and flora within the map. Also includes allegorical and mythological figures, sea monsters and sailing ships along the coast line. The map was originally published by Hulsius to illustrate Schmidel´s Vera Historia, one of the volumes of his collection of voyages. This is one of the most accurate maps of northern South America of the 16th century. Although complete in a single sheet, there is a matching lower sheet which was also published in the same work.
According to Kohl,
the map is based upon a manuscript map in the Dépot de la Marine at Paris. Para, near the mouth of the Amazon, founded soon after 1620, is not indicated, and the course of the Amazon is not improved upon the type fashioned after the reports of Orellana in 1542. Near lake Titicaca is a legend about the explorations of Nuno de Chaves, in 1557-1560. The names and inscriptions are nearly all Spanish, with an admixture of Portuguese in Brazil. The designations of the oceans and a few other names are French. These features indicate a French draughtsman, working on Spanish and Portuguese models.
The notation to the right of S. Cruz (St. Croix, VI), "Guanahani 1492", indicates the island where Christopher Columbus' ships first landed upon arriving in the Americas, although that island is now believed to be in the Bahamas, in a different part of the Caribbean.
Includes scenes of cannibalism and warfare, Amazons, blemmyae, ships and animals such as armadillo, turtle, flying fish, and a sloth.
There are two editions of the map, which can be distinguished by the date in the title at the top of the map.
