Carte des isles Nicobar

C18th chart of the Nicobar islands which are situated off the east coast of India, published in Mannevillette’s, Le Neptune oriental (Oriental Pilot), the most highly regarded pilot for the Eastern trade for both French and English ships.

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, published his ground breaking sea atlas, Le Neptune Oriental in 1745. The first issue comprised twenty two charts, superior to any previously available and consequently quickly became the indispensable 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, 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.