Carte De L'Isle de France

Paris: Jacques Nicolas Bellin, 1764. unbound. Map. Engraving with hand coloring. Image measures 8 1/2" x 13 3/4".

This is a scarce 1764 map of Mauritius by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, created at the height of French colonial power. Known as Isle de France, Mauritius was a key stop on the East India Trade and a productive agrarian colony under the French East India Company from 1715 to 1810. Oriented with North to the Southwest, the map details inland topography, river courses, and farm grants, alongside coastal features. Forests and mountains are rendered in profile. Port Louis, the island's capital, evolved into a significant port and commercial (truncated) center during this period.

The French East India Company granted land to colonists, promoting private farming enterprises with the aid of slaves, which significantly boosted the island's production and contributed to France becoming the largest European maritime trading power by the 1780s. French control of Mauritius ended in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars when Britain captured the island. The map was published in Bellin's 1764 edition of "Le petit atlas maritime" In good condition with some toning.

Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was the official hydrographer to the French king and the first person to hold the title of "Ingenieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans de la Marine" (chief engineer of the French Hydrographical Office). Bellin oversaw the systematic mapping of coastlines with unparalleled precision, surpassing his English and Dutch contemporaries. Known to be one of the most important cartographers of the 18th century, he was particularly well-known for his maps of the French Empire, especially the territories in North America. Bellin's maps, celebrated for their accuracy and craftsmanship, set the standard for navigation and geographical study across Europe during the eighteenth century. This map is a beautiful example of his work. (Inventory #: 324447)