Search

Map based on the expeditions of Jean-François de Surville, a merchant captain with the French East India Company. Some details are from the diary of the French Navy officer Théobald René, Comte de Kergariou-Locmaria, who explored the region in 1785.

Map based on the expeditions of Jean-François de Surville, a merchant captain with the French East India Company. Some details are from the diary of the French Navy officer Théobald René, Comte de Kergariou-Locmaria, who explored the region in 1785.

Map based on the expeditions of Jean-François de Surville, a merchant captain with the French East India Company. Some details are from the diary of the French Navy officer Théobald René, Comte de Kergariou-Locmaria, who explored the region in 1785.

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.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The title is given in both French and Dutch, as are some of the place names on the map.

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.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The title is given in both French and Dutch, as are some of the place names on the map.

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.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The title is given in both French and Dutch, as are some of the place names on the map.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The title is given in both French and Dutch, as are some of the place names on the map.

The arrows on this map show the direction of the seasonal monsoons of Southeast Asia during the late 18th century. Each arrow has a label in French, indicating the month. The hatched sea areas are where the winds always blow in the same direction.

On this late 18th century map, the modern nation states of mainland Southeast Asia can be seen emerging: Myanmar (here labelled Ava), Laos, Vietnam (Tong-King and Cochinchine), Cambodia (Camboge), Thailand (Siam) and Malaysia (Malaca).