Bellin, Jacques N. "Grundriss der Stadt St. Salvador. Haupt-stadt in Brasilien"

Jacques N. Bellin. "Grundriss der Stadt St. Salvador.  Haupt-stadt in Brasilien.”  From Allgemeine Historie Der Reisen Zu Wasser Und Zu Land… 

Leipzig: Arkstee & Merkus, 1758. 7 1/2 x 11 3/4.  Engraving.  Very good condition.

A detailed map of San Salvador by Jacques Nicolas Bellin, the Hydrographer to the King of France, from a German edition of Prevost’s Voyages.  From about 1650 to 1750, the French dominated the cartographic world, with their fine, scientifically based maps, elegantly engraved and precisely detailed.  Bellin (1703-72) was one of the best in the later period.  His map of the capital of El Salvador shows very precise detail of the city, with the main features identified through a numbered and a lettered key.  An added feature is the view of the city as seen from the bay, engraved along the top.