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The cartouche on this map of Asia features an Asian man smoking a long pipe, surrounded by packages, vases, a bow and arrow, a censer (incense burner) and a camel carrying a large load. The second sheet of the map features Southeast Asia.

The ancient kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia are shown on this 18th century map, including Ava and Pegu (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Tonquin (Vietnam), Laos and—between Cochin China (Vietnam) and Camboja (Cambodia)—‘A Savage Nation called KEMOYS’.

This late 18th century map features a number of labels describing the local populations, including the Kemoys ('Savage People') of the mountains of Cokin China (Vietnam), the Biayos of Borneo, and the 'Wild People' of the mountains of Pegu (Myanmar).

Based on the British ethnologist James Cowles Prichard’s book ‘Natural History of Man’, this map shows the location of ethnicities in Asia. In Southeast Asia, the races are listed as ‘Arakan’, ‘Pegu’, ‘Thay or Siamese’, ‘Anam’ and ‘Pelagian’.

Map of the Dutch colonial administrative region of the island of Billiton (Belitung). The population is listed by race, and tin production by year. (From ‘Algemeene Atlas van Nederlandsche Indie [General Atlas of the Dutch East Indies]’.)

Map of Burma spread over two sheets, labelled with the names of indigenous ‘tribes’ (uppercase red text), mountains, rivers, forests and plantations (teak, bamboo, sappanwood).

This map shows the border between the British Empire (modern Bangladesh) and Burmah (Myanmar). Although the Burmah part of the map is mostly blank, there is a reference to ‘Shendoos’ (now known as the Lai people).

Small notes on this map of Burmah (Myanmar) describe mines, crops and products produced, names of local tribes etc. e.g.: ‘a passage to Rangoon in the wet season’, ‘Ship of 400 tons built here’, ‘Alompra’s birth place’, ‘Gold dust in the streams’.

A map of Southeast Asia coloured to indicate the five different language families spoken in the region in the late 19th century. Names of indigenous tribes/languages are marked in red text, with European colonial possessions in grey.

Six-sheet map of the Malay Peninsula, featuring settlements, mountains and rivers. Labels note names of indigenous peoples, or describe terrain/resources. There is an inset map of Singapore town, and the Straits Settlements are highlighted in red.

The Straits Settlements are in red, with the rest of the map marked with names of local peoples (‘Inhabited by the Johor Jakuns’) and resources (mines). Many areas are left blank or vague as unexplored or approximate. Inset map of Singapore city.

The Straits Settlements are in red, with the rest of the map marked with names of local peoples (‘Inhabited by the Johor Jakuns’) and resources (mines). Many areas are left blank or vague as unexplored or approximate. Inset map of Singapore city.