Very rare chart of the Firth of Forth by Bellin

Description

This detailed chart of the Firth of Forth, here referred to as the Gulf of Edinburgh (Golphe d'Edinburg), is from Jacques-Nicolas Bellin’s Le Petit Atlas Maritime. With close to 600 charts and a strong focus on harbour cities and towns, this atlas is considered the leading publication of its kind at the time it was issued.

The chart shows the estuary of the River Forth between the coasts of Fife and East Lothian and from Fife Ness (Fifneße) headland in the north to Musselburgh (Mußilbrugh) in the south as well as from Inverkeithing (Inverkiting) and Queensferry (Queens Ferry) in the west to Dunbar in the east.

In Edinburgh, the castle is named (Le Chateau), and Holyrood Park appears as Ancien Parc (i.e. Ancient/Old Park), surrounded by a wall. Lieth is shown as a separate town.

Bellin’s chart is rich in detail, showing hills (pictorial representation) and water bodies as well as towns and roads.

Maritime details include soundings, shoals, anchorages, and piers.

The chart features a compass rose to the centre right. A delicate rococo-style title cartouche contains a distance scale showing “deux Lieues Marines de France et d'Angleterre”, i.e. two French and English nautical leagues, which would equal about six nautical miles or approximately 11.1 km or 6.9 miles.

The chart uses the Paris meridian.

The engraver of the chart is not indicated. However, we believe this to be either J. Arrivet or Jean-Baptiste Croisey.

A splendid, scarce 18^th century chart of Edinburgh and the estuary of the River Forth.

Publication

Le petit atlas maritime : recueil de cartes et plans des quatre parties du monde

Note: Image shows pagination annotation in top right corner (Tome IV. N^o. 14.).

Condition

Fine.

A clear impression on a clean, watermarked sheet. Wide margins. No visible flaws, and no repairs.

Item #: 03024

US $320.00

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