Engraved map, colored. Cartouche in lower right. 127x206.5 cm (50x81¼"), mounted on linen, fastened to roller.
The rare first issue of Aaron Arrowsmith's first map, a large and detailed wall map of the world. This shows a tentative connection between an unnamed lake which would later become Great Slave Lake with the hyperborian ocean; this suggests a hint of Mackenzie's 1789 exploration. In the second issue of this map, also dated 1790, the results of Mackenzie's exploration is shown in detail. A note on map states "By permission of Simon McTavish, Esqr, is correctly delineated the Discoveries of Mr. McKenzie laid down from his original journal in the year 1789." This was repeated on the issues before 1802. This is the first cartographic representation of Mackenzie's exploration. Tooley, in The Map Collector 9, 12/79, states that this first issue is "extremely rare".
Further Notes from the Files of Warren Heckrotte
Provenance: Maggs, 4/80
Stevens-Tree identifies 7 issues of this map, designated 1790 (a), 1790 (b), 1790 (c), 1790-1794 (d), 1790-1803 (e), [1790-?1805] (f), 1790-[?1808] (g). I believe that these dates may in some cases be in error.
References: Stevens-Tree 90 (a). W-NWC 744. Tooley, TMC, 9, 12/79, states that this first issue is "extremely rare".