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A late 18th century map of maritime Southeast Asia by the French geographer Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703–1772). The title refers to the ‘Stretto della Sonda’ (Sunda Strait), the strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java.

This mid-18th century map shows the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, divided by the Straits of Malacca. A note in French at the top right corner states that the interior of Sumatra and the course of its rivers are unknown.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The points of the compass can be seen radiating out from a central compass rose.

The title of this mid-18th century map of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula claims that it was based on the diaries of sailors. Interestingly, the title is repeated in both German and French, as are the names of some of the locations marked on the map.

Maps like this aided navigation through the islands, shoals and reefs of Singapore and the Malacca Strait. Three routes around Singapore are shown, numbers on the sea indicate water depth, and the profile views of mountains were used as landmarks.

The coast of New Guinea (‘Nouvelle Guinée’) is represented in part by a dotted line on this mid-18th century map, indicating that the exact coastlines were unknown at this time. The western tip is labelled ‘C. de Bonne Esperance [Cape of Good Hope]’.