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Description

Finely crafted depiction of Gorée Island (Île de Gorée), located off the coast of present-day Dakar, Senegal, from Bellin’s Petite Atlas Maritime. 

The map illustrates Gorée Island, with a focus on its strategic fortifications, which were vital during the period of European colonial expansion in West Africa. Two main forts are prominently depicted: Fort St. Michel and Fort St. François.

  • Fort St. Michel is located on the higher ground, overseeing the northern part of the island. The fort includes bastions, gun placements, and other defensive features designed to protect against naval attacks.
  • Fort St. François, situated on the southern end of the island, serves as another critical defensive point. This fortification is strategically placed near the primary landing area, where ships would anchor and unload their goods or human cargo. The fort is equipped with a battery of 32 cannons, illustrating its significant role in the island's defense.

Gorée Island was one of the most significant centers for the transatlantic slave trade, under the control of various European powers, including the Dutch, Portuguese, and, by the time this map was created, the French. The fortifications on the island were crucial for maintaining control over the lucrative trade routes and protecting the island from rival European powers. 

Condition Description
Original publisher's color
Jacques Nicolas Bellin Biography

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.