Map of the Caribbean islands including southern North America, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America Herman Moll William Paterson Spanish Trade Routes Gold

A rare map of the West-Indies or the islands of America in the North Sea with ye adjacent countries explaining what belongs to Spain, England, France, Holland &c also ye Trade Winds and ye several Tracts made by ye Galeons and flota from place to place.

Wil Paterson this map of the West-Indies is most humbly dedicated by Her. Moll geographer. According to ye newest and most exact observations by Herman Moll Geographer.

Map of the Caribbean islands including southern North America, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

Inset at lower left: The City of Mexico in New Spain. Derived from a view in an unpublished atlas by Johannes Vingboons 1628. This image was probably copied from a map by Juan Gomez de Trasmonte, supervisor of the construction of a drainage system for Mexico city in 1628. Kagan, Urban images of the Hispanic world, fig. 4.23

Insets at upper right: La Vera Cruz; A Draught of the Bay and Citty of Havana Cuba; The Bay of Porto Bella; A Draught of ye Citty of Cartagena; A Draught of St. Augustin Saint Augustine, Florida.

Artist : Herman Moll d. 1732. Bibliography : A new and compleat atlas, London, 1708-1720 Hermand Moll. Provenance: Private collection.

In a buff mount and gilded frame with green highlight. Maps are generally framed in insigificant frames so that the attention is soley on the map. This map could easily be reframed depending on how and where it will be hung and there are many different choices.

Frame size height 56 cm., 22" length 84 cm., 33".

This is a map that reveals Moll both as an astute political observer and thinker, and tactian. This map of the West Indies is full of commercially sensitive information about the Spanish gold runs, and it is entirely feasible that the map was deliberately suited as a guide to English piracy and privateering in the West Indies. Through his London connections, Moll knew of two prominent English pirates or privateers: Woodes Rogers and William Dampier. They may have given Moll essential, crucial knowledge to include and publish on his maps. Moll clearly shows the routes taken by the Spanish in their endeavours to collect gold, silver and gems from their territories in New Spain. The fleets entered by Granada and Trinidad, and stopped in Cartagena; from there they headed northward to Havana, and crossed the Gulf of Mexico en route to the port of Vera Cruz, where they would take on a rich cargo from their silver mines in Potosi. Heavily laden with cargo, the fleet would then make good use of prevailing trade winds and make for Havana again, prior to heading out through Florida and the Bahamas to take them across the Atlantic back to Europe. Significantly, Moll engraves five of the most important Spanish ports and harbours involved with the "gold run". It is interesting to note that Moll dedicates the wonderful and enterprising map to William Patterson, the founder of The Bank of England. There is a large decorative cartouche of Mexico city