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A Chart of the Coast of Pegu with the Adjacent Coast of Arakan and Tanasserim, published on 12th September 1798 by Laurie & Whittle of Fleet Street, London, presents a detailed representation of the Burman Peninsula from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Martaban. This chart, complete with rhumb lines, depth indicators, and a compass rose, integrates four inset maps detailing the Martaban River, the Arakan River, the Sirian River, and the entrance of the Perseen River.
During the late 18th century, as European powers navigated Southeast Asia's waters, reliable maritime charts became crucial. These charts, including the one in question, assisted sailors in these unfamiliar seas, supporting both trade and exploration. Today's Myanmar, then known for its strategic location between India and China, was a region of interest.
Tracing its origins to the 1745 French Neptune Oriental by Jean Baptiste Nicolas Denis d'Apres de Mannevillette, this chart exemplifies the transfer and enhancement of nautical knowledge during that period. Later English editions, found in The East-India Pilot, or Oriental Navigator, incorporated updates from figures like Captain Hayter, Captain John Ritchie, and Captain Charles Newland, reflecting a period of data accumulation and refinement in maritime cartography.
States
The map was first issued in by Sayer and Bennett, and then in 1794 by Laurie & Whittle.
This is the 1798 (probably first published in 1799) update to the map, which adds coastal profiles "Taken by Mr. Forten Master of H.M. Ship Heroine April 24th & 25th. 1796."
Robert Laurie (ca. 1755-1836) and James Whittle (1757-1818) formed their Fleet Street, London-based firm upon the 1794 death of their employer Robert Sayer, himself one of the dominant print and mapmakers of the last half of the 18th century.
Laurie & Whittle started managing Sayer's business as early as 1787. They took over all managerial duties when Sayer's health flagged in 1792, and they changed the imprint in 1794 upon his death. Sayer left the two a 21-year lease on the shop (at £100 a year) and on Sayer's Bolt Court premises, as well as an option to acquire stock and equipment at a preferential price of £5,000 payable over three years.
Robert Laurie retired from the firm in 1812, and his role was assumed by his son, Richard Holmes Laurie (1777-1858). The younger Laurie worked with James Whittle until the latter died in 1818. After R. H. Laurie died in 1858, Alexander George Findlay, FRGS (1812-1875) purchased the firm from his daughters. The firm continues today under another name, specializing in yachting charts.
Laurie & Whittle were prolific print and map publishers, and throughout their careers, they produced numerous very important and rare works. They carried on Robert Sayer's atlas business and were responsible for editions of The Complete East-India Pilot and The American Atlas.
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