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Early navigation map of the South China Sea. The web of lines is a rhumbline network, while the numbers indicate sea depth (bathymetry), both used to aid navigation. A route around the Gulf of Thailand is marked with text and the dates 1643 and 1644.

Hand-drawn map of islands in the Riau Archipelago, with bathymetry (sea depth) marked. It features side views of hills (‘elevations’) to use as landmarks, including ‘Jehore hill’, probably in Johor at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

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.

This map of the Dutch East Indies is spread over eight sheets, with a hand-drawn cover sheet showing the whole area. There are numerous inset maps of islands, bays, cities etc. Two of the inset maps have a replacement map pasted over them.

This detailed map of the Dutch East Indies in the mid-19th century is spread over eight sheets, plus a cover sheet showing the whole area. There are numerous inset maps of islands, bays, cities etc.

This mid-19th century map of Southeast Asia is illustrated with drawings of indigenous people from New Guinea, a ‘bee bear’ (probably a sun bear), a sailboat in front of Victoria Mount in New Guinea, and a village and palm trees in Sarawak, Borneo.

Map of the Penang Strait, including written instructions on how to navigate the strait. On land, areas of cultivation are marked, with a table listing acreage used for each crop. A boundary with Siam based on an 1831 treaty is also shown.

This detailed map of the Dutch East Indies in the mid-19th century contains a great deal of information: topographical details, settlements and administrative areas, roads, railways and maritime routes, telegraph lines, inset maps etc.

A map of the administrative divisions of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. The mountains of western Sumatra and the central Malay Peninsula are represented by hachures: short lines/dashes that give a sense of the shape and steepness of terrain.

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.