Map of Hispaniola

Title Leupe: The Island of Hispaniola, called by the French St. Domingo, subject to France and Spain etc.

This map of Hispaniola was made at the height of the period of sugar slavery. The amount of plantations on the west side of the island had drastically increased since the 1697 treaty of Ryswick. But instead of plantations this map only notes placenames. It was printed as part of a volume called A description of the Spanish islands and settlements on the coast of the West Indies / compiled from authentic memoirs, revised by gentlemen who have resided many years in the Spanish settlements ; and illustrated with thirty-two maps and plans, chiefly from original drawings taken from the Spaniards in the last war. Surprisingly, however, the French side of the island is much more elaborate suggesting the work is mainly based on older French maps (see VEL1415) and 'gentlemen' who were residing in French settlements. In comparison to earlier French maps of the island, geographical features are truer to nature. The coastline now resembles actual proportions and the mystical salt lake can finally be recognized as Lake Azuei and Enriquillo, yet the inlands are still mainly drawn using hachures.

Scale-bar of 70 British Statute miles = 74 ‘strepen’.