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Description

Nice example of Franz Johann Von Reilly's map of America, published in Vienna in 1795.

The map depicts America, with Von Reilly crediting a curious pair of sources, the famed French mapmaker D'Anville and Colonial American Governor Thomas Pownall.

The main map shows the newly created United States, but it is in the Northwest where it becomes most interesting, noting "Tschirkows Land", "Fousang Der Sineser" (the legendary Chinese Fousang -- see below) and referencing several Spanish discoveries on the coast in 1775, a reference to the second Spanish expedition to the the region, commanded by Bruno de Hezeta (sometimes spelled Heceta), which sailed shortly after Juan Perez returned from his historic first European journey to explore and map Spain’s farthest frontier on the west coast of the American continent. The mission of the second Spanish expedition was to successfully take formal possession of the land and to further exert Spain’s claim to Nueva Galicia. Having learned from the difficulties of sailing only one vessel during the first voyage, this expedition was carried out with three Mexican-built ships. Naval officers recently transferred to San Blas, Mexico, from the best naval academies in Spain were expressly recruited for the purpose of helping complete this important expedition. 

At the top left is a fine depiction of modern day Alaska and the northwest coast as it was known immediately before the completion of the explorations of Vancouver and La Perous.  The primary sources would have been Russian maps and the reports of Captain James Cook.

The map of the Republik der Vereinigten Dreyzhen Staaten in NordAmerika (Republic of the 13 United States of North America) is both detailed and informative, with many Native American tribal names shows in the area of the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys and in what was then Georgia Territory, along with many early forts.

The third inset map, centered on Hudson's Straits and Baffin's Bay, gives a credible accounting of the largely British explorations in the region in search of the Northwest Passage.