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The First Map of Northern Vietnam

This important early map by Pierre Mariette was first issued in 1653 in Alexandre de Rhodes' Divers voyages et missions en la Chine et autres royaumes de l'Orient, avec son retour en Europe par la Perse et l'Arménie. It is considered the first specific map of the Kingdom of Annam, or Tonkin, which would later become North Vietnam.

The map covers the region from roughly Quảng Ngãi in the south to the Chinese border in the north, extending west as far as Laos and Cambodia. It represents a significant milestone in the cartography of Vietnam and laid the foundation for maps of this region through the mid-19th century. 

The map is based on the firsthand reconnaissance by the Jesuit missionary Alexandre de Rhodes, who established the first Catholic mission in Tonkin between 1627 and 1645. Prior to Rhodes, the Gulf and Kingdom of Tonkin were largely unknown to Europeans. Portuguese explorers and Jesuits had established relations with the Champa Kingdom (near modern-day Da Nang) but had not ventured further north due to political tensions between North and South Vietnam. Rhodes' mission was significant in developing an understanding of the northern region, despite his eventual expulsion due to conflicts with traditional Vietnamese values. 

While Rhodes was mathematically trained, he completed few if any geographic coordinate calculations for this map. The coastline is similar to previous maps of the region, with the Gulf of Tonkin prominently jutting into the mainland. The inland cartography is the most significant feature of this map, detailing provinces, major cities, river systems, and political affiliations. Notable locations include Tonkin (Hanoi), the central highland range, and the province of Cao Bang, a redoubt for the rebel Mac family.

Key Inscriptions and Annotations

• Isles: "Ou de petits Oyseaux font leurs Nids, que ces Peuples amassent curieusement, et en assaisonnent leur viandes; Sur tous les Chinois et les Iaponois en font grand cas." (Translation: "Islands where small birds make their nests, which these people collect curiously, and season their meats with; especially the Chinese and the Japanese highly value them.")
• Sans eaux: "Sans eaux, sans chose aucune de ce qui appartient à la vie." (Translation: "Without water, without anything that belongs to life.")
• Tour fort haulte: "Tour fort haulte que l'on voit de loing en la Mer." (Translation: "Very tall tower that can be seen from afar in the sea.")
• Cav Bang: "Cav Bang ou Civa Canh, Chassé du Tumkin s'est retiré dans ces Montagnes d'où il moleste fort les Tumkinoïs." (Translation: "Cav Bang or Civa Canh, expelled from Tonkin, retreated into these mountains where they greatly trouble the Tonkinese.")
• Jean Baptiste Bonel: "Ce fut en ce désert que mourut le Père Jean Baptiste Bonel de la Compagnie de Jésus, allant porter la Foy aux Laos ou Layes." (Translation: "It was in this desert that Father Jean Baptiste Bonel of the Society of Jesus died, while bringing the faith to the Laos or Layes.")

This map is a vital document in the history of the exploration and mapping of Vietnam, representing the early European understanding and missionary efforts in the region. Its cartographic details provided a foundational understanding of Tonkin's geography and political landscape, influencing subsequent maps and navigational charts for centuries.