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Fine view on the Georgia Coastline, based upon original watercolor paintings by Jacques Le Moynes de Morgues, an official French artist, who accompanied two important French Expeditions to North America in the 1560s.

The images show the French explorations on the Georgia Coastline, which were first published in 1591, by Theodore de Bry. Taken from the publication of the reports of Jean Ribault (1562) and Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere (1564) expeditions, entitled Brevis narratio eorum quae in Florida Americœ provincia Gallis acciderunt . . .

The text translates as follows:

After they returned to their ships and lifted the anchors, they sailed further along the coast until they happened upon a pleasant river. The Prefect wanted to observe it along with its local ruler and indigenous people. He gave the river the name Sequana because it resembled the river Sequana in Gaul; it is about 14 leagues away from the River May. Then they returned to their ships and sailed further to the north. But not long after they had departed, they found another sufficiently elegant river, for the purpose of observing which they deployed two boats. In it they found an island, whose king was no less friendly than those encountered before. They gave this river the name Axone; it is about six miles away from Sequana.

On the first French voyage to the region which would be described as French Florida, the crew, led by Captain Jean Ribaut, landed at a promontory which later become Fort Augustine. Following the coast north from there, Ribault's expedition discovered a broad river, which they called May. After exploring the region, they proceeded further and sailed farther up the coast until they reached another river which Captain Ribaut deemed worthy of exploration. He called this river the Sequana River, the ancient Latin name for the Seine River. After a brief investigation, the expedition continued a short distance north, before encountering another large river, which they named the Axone River (Latin name for the Somme River in France). This river was explored in two small boats.

Ribault named this river the Somme or Axona, which is about six miles from the Seine. The river marked on the engraving 'F. Axona, Iricana' is evidently the Somme, but has the suffix Iracana, after the Indians on this river. Today, it is known as St. Andrews Sound, Georgia, at the mouth of the Satilla River and Jekyll Island. The fish-pens, shown in the river estuary, are 'reed enclosures made in the form of a labyrinth' by the Indians, and from which the fish found it almost impossible to escape.