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An 18th Century English Wall Map of Asia, Australia & The Indian Ocean

A fine example of Laurie & Whittle’s six-sheet wall map of Asia and the Indian Ocean, expanded in 1799 from earlier editions first issued by Robert Sayer. This grand-scale production reflects the culmination of nearly three decades of English cartographic revision and geographic discovery, charting the eastern hemisphere from the Cape of Good Hope to the coasts of China and New Holland, and from the Arctic Circle to Tasmania.

This edition bears the full title: Asia and its islands according to d'Anville; divided into empires, kingdoms, states, regions, &c. &c. with the European possessions and settlements in the East Indies and an exact delineation of all the discoveries made in the eastern parts by the English under Captn. Cook, Vancouver & Peyrouse. Published in London by Laurie & Whittle on February 2, 1799, it is a culmination of successive updates made to an original four-sheet map published by Sayer ca. 1772, which was itself based on the authoritative cartography of Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville.

Geographically, the map extends from the eastern coast of Africa to the shores of New Guinea and the full eastern outline of New Holland. It includes substantial hydrographic detail across the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and adjacent archipelagos, with trade routes, settlements, and European colonial possessions carefully delineated. A decorative title cartouche graces the upper right, and the newly mapped eastern coasts of Australia are prominently featured, reflecting James Cook’s 1770 voyage. A clear gap between Tasmania and the mainland is left unresolved—Cook having charted only the Tasmanian north coast—while the continent’s southern shore remains blank, unvisited by any European expedition at the time of publication.

Two inset maps are engraved within the main sheet: one of King George Sound (Western Australia), and another of southern Tasmania, both recording discoveries made by HMS Duke in 1791. These additions reflect the map’s incorporation of the latest British surveying efforts in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean basins.

Although the title and content were updated over time—by ca. 1787, references to Cook had been added—the shift to six sheets and the inclusion of discoveries by George Vancouver and La Pérouse signal the significance of the 1799 edition. It represents the most expansive and current English commercial mapping of the region on the eve of the 19th century.

Rarity

Surviving examples are scarce, especially in complete state. This is the first copy we have handled in more than twenty years. Reference examples are held by the National Library of Australia, the David Rumsey Map Collection, and the State Library of Queensland, the latter showing a rare variant issued as a four-sheet Indian Ocean chart with added compass roses.

The map is quite rare on the market. This is the second example we have offered in more than 30 years of business.