[AFRICA] Plan de L’Isle de Bourbon…

C.18th chart of Reunion, published in Mannevillette’s, Le Neptune oriental (Oriental Pilot), the most highly regarded pilot for the Eastern trade for both French and English ships. At lower left is an explanation of the history of the discovery and naming of the island.

From about 1735 Mannevillette had set about collecting detailed charts of the known coasts from Africa to Australia and which with the financial support of the Comapne des Indes and the Academie des Sciences, he published his ground breaking sea atlas, Le Neptune Oriental in 1745. This first issue comprised only twenty five charts, superior to any previously available and consequently quickly became the indispensable maritime atlas for ship owners, captains and pilots engaged in the Southeast Asian sea routes. In 1775 d’Apres issued the second edition of Le Neptune Oriental, greatly expanded to approximately 69 charts which Mannevillette had applied his advances in navigational techniques which he had refined in the intervening 30 years.  There is no standard collation of the the second edition with the number of maps varying in atlases held by major institutional libraries. Mannevillette kept updating the charts and eventually this required a supplement, published posthumously in 1781 and reissued in 1797.

References:
Phillips, P. A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress. Washington 1973 3166.
Howgego, J. Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800. Sydney 2011 A107.
Shirley, R. Maps in the Atlases of The British Library. London 2004 BL II, M.Apr-1c.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 3695328 / 1607174
David Rumsey Collection: 13102.025
National Maritime Museum Greenwich: 094:912.44(261:264:267)”17″
National Trust Collections UK: Felbrigg, Norfolk NT 3221355
David Rumsey Collection: Pub List No: 13102.000 (1810 edition)
State Library New South Wales: CALL NUMBERS TX00379 [180-?]
State Library Victoria: RARESEF 912.182 AP6N Ba