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Description

Rare late state of Wilkinson's map of North America, issued in the decade following the exploration of Lewis & Clark.

The map was apparently re-issued to reflect the newly created country of Mexico, although it is still listed as Spanish Dominion in the title. The mythical mountain ranges present in earlier editions are now gone, in favor of the single Cordillera popularized by Alexander von Humboldt. The area around the Colorado River and the Gila River are greatly simplified, with the mythical rivers of the Pimeria now removed. Texas (Tecas) is no longer named, quite curiously so, although the Rio Grande River now is much more accurately sketched.

In the region of the prospective Northwest Passage, gone are many of the speculative unknown coastlines, in favor of the latest information to the West of Barrow's Straits, including a reference to the Hecla, which had extensively explored the region.

Also gone are the rough schmatic outines of the upper Missouri River and contiguous mountain ranges, in favor of a much more accurate depiction of the watershed, including the names of major Indian Tribes.

Alaska is labeled Russian Settlements and has a marvelous conjectural coastline north and east of Cape Mulgrave. The Pacific Northwest is identified as Vancouver's surveys and shows nice detail, albeit limited to the coastline. The Rocky Mountains are shown in a pre-Lewis & Clark, pre-Humboldt/Pike configuration, primarily a long narrow chain of mountains, with over a dozen conjectural rivers flowing east and west from this mountainous source.

To the north, the better information furnished by the Hudson's Bay company is in evidence. The missions of upper California are shown, along with some mythical lakes and rivers. In all, a terrific early pre-Lewis & Clark map of the Transmississippi West.

The map is apparently much revised from Wilkinson's map of 1817 edition, which seems to be the last update of the map prior to this edition.