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This map, created by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin in 1764, depicts the Gambia River from its mouth at Cape St. Mary to Eropina.
It illustrates various settlements along the river, including the trading posts, towns, and villages.
The map is detailed with annotations in French, indicating the location of forts, trading posts (comptoirs), and key geographical features such as the Barr and Badinbou regions, along with Barsalli and Jereja. Notable locations include Cap St. Marie, Kower, and Fort James.
The intricate illustrations of the river's meandering path highlight the navigational routes used during the period, emphasizing the importance of the Gambia River for trade and exploration.
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at only the age of 18, he was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King.
During his term as Official Hydrographer, the Dépôt was the one of the most active centers for the production of sea charts and maps in Europe. Their output included a folio-format sea atlas of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea atlases of the world, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame and distinction all over Europe and were republished throughout the eighteenth and even in the nineteenth century.
Bellin also produced smaller format maps such as the 1764 Petit Atlas Maritime, containing 580 finely-detailed charts. He also contributed a number of maps for the 15-volume Histoire Generale des Voyages of Antoine François Prévost.
Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, cementing France's leading role in European cartography and geography during this period. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers across the continent.
