Thomson North America

John Thomson.
North America.
Edinburgh, c.1815. 515 x 625mm. Original colour.
£260
Attractive map of North America, showing many important discoveries in the north west, including: Cook & Vanvouver's discoveries along the Pacific coastline; David Thompson's mapping of the Great Bend on the Missouri River, used by Lewis & Clark; and Alexander Mackenzie's discovery of the Mackenzie River (Canada's longest) entering the Beaufort Sea not the Pacific, as he had hoped while looking for the North West Passage) in 1789. Includes Mexico only to Monterey. The mountains of the Continental Divide are quite distorted and are labelled Rocky Mountains. The Missouri River is projected too far west and there is no Great Salt Lake. Along the western coast are a number of British names: New Norfolk, New Cornwall, New Hanover, New Georgia (in present-day Washington and Oregon) and New Albion (California). Many Indian tribes are named including Snake, Plume, Red, Blue, Wolf, and Beaver. THOM0011