French Map of South Atlantic, 1708


This is an early 18th Century French map published by Guillaume de Lille in 1708 it is an updated version of his 1705 map. It marks the voyages of Beauchesne who was credited with discovering the small island just off the south coast of the Falklands. The Falkland islands have changed from an ill defined selection of islands into three distinct isles. Perhaps the inlets of the Eastern isle misled some sailors into believing that it was two distinct islands rather the one. All of the islands are being referred to as the Sebald Islands which the map claims were discovered by the Dutch sailor in 1599. There is no mention of the English claims to have discovered it earlier.


Falkland Islands | Falkland Island Maps


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by Stephen Luscombe