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In the 18th century, European maps tended to use their own country’s meridian, so on this French map of Southeast Asia longitude is measured from the Paris Meridian. Eleven different scales are also shown.

Map of the Banda Islands—which was at this time the only source of nutmeg in the world—featuring mountains, plantations, settlements and a military fort. On the island of Gunnanapi (Banda Api) a volcano erupts (‘api’ means ‘fire’ in Indonesian).

A page from Abbé Prévost’s ‘Histoire Générale des Voyages’. The top map shows the Bay of Laphao on Timor, while the other drawings are side views (or ‘elevations’) of mountains on the region’s islands to use as landmarks when navigating.

The many navigation aids marked on this map, including bathymetry (sea depth), anchor points, shoals, and elevations of hills, were designed to guide ships around this part of the west coast of Timor. The Dutch fort Concordia is also marked.

The 20 colourful illustrations around the border of this 18th century map of Asia depict a variety of historical and biblical scenes, including the Crucifixion of Jesus and the sacking of Troy. Each scene has a description in French and Spanish.

Amongst the mountains and jungles of mid-18th century Bali, this map shows three royal palaces, walled encampments, and seven Buddhist temples (or ‘stupa’) on the east coast. Inset illustrations depict a palace and a temple in detail.

Amongst the mountains and jungles of mid-18th century Bali, this map shows three royal palaces, walled encampments, towns, and seven Buddhist temples (or ‘stupa’) on the east coast. Inset illustrations depict a palace and a temple in detail.

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 mid-18th century map of Celebes (Sulawasi) shows the island divided into approximately a dozen separate kingdoms. The Gulf of Saleyer is noted as being ‘rempli de Bancs de Sable [filled with sandbanks]’.

This mid-18th century plan of the city of Malaca (Malacca/Melaka) focuses on the military fort (‘A Famosa [The Famous]’), but also includes two churches, a mosque and a Chinese temple. Two markets are also marked, as is the entrance to the port.

A mid-18th century map showing mainland Southeast Asia divided into regions such as Pegu, Ava and Aracan (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Laos, Camboie (Cambodia), Cochinchine and Tunquin (Vietnam), and Malaca (Malaysia).

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.