Seller: RARE ORIENTAL BOOK CO., ABAA, ILAB, Aptos, CA, U.S.A.
[London ca. 1670-1680]. Single sheet, copper engraved map edges trimmed, map and sheet size: 29x 24cm., very good, old mends on verso, ever so faint damp stain to top which does not detract from the overall work, handsome cartouche. RARE . *** **** *** . . . A LOVELY HAND-COLORED MAP [Ca. 1670-1680 . . * A very primitive map, shows Bagdath to Bablion and other Persian areas, the Deserta, Maffa & Maris Rubriaditus at the extreme Western areas. To the extreme East is Corea, Japan and Firando; Fermofa [Taiwan], Philippine Insulae, Moluccae, Gilolo and Celebes. At the North is the Mare Caspivum Buzhara, Semerkan, Honan and then Tzli Na Chi Na, at the South is Sumatra, Aiwa Maior, with Borneo, Malacca and Lohor at the tip of the Malayan peninsula, no mention of Singapore. India, all of S.E. Asia, Cambodia, Siam, old Vietnam including "Batrang," Burma, Central Asia and the Bengala, with the great confluence of the rivers shown just under Amuy. . * The map shows mountain ranges, large rivers, cities like Lahor, Fariah, Candahar, Goa, Zeyan or Ceylon, and China, with no cities cited, indicating this may be from around the late 1560's-as clearly the Portuguese had been to Firando in 1549, surely just after that, as nothing in the way of China's coastal cities nor is Macao cited, proving the point of being early. . * The Great Wall of China, is not cited, and the great Mekong and Indian rivers are clearly shown. The great rivers of China all seem to emanate from one central and grand lake are [incorrectly] shown. One gets the distinct impression this was based on Portuguese knowledge, as it reflects their areas of influence, but omit all others, again indicating an early map. Notably lacking are the Dutch and English areas of contact. . *** BIOGRAPHY: . Dr. Ralph Bathurst [1620-1704. He was educated circa 1635 in Trinity College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. He graduated from Oxford University in 1638 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and he was a Fellow in 1640 in Trinity College, Oxford University. He graduated from Oxford University in 1654 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).He was a founding member of the Royal Society in 1663. He held the office of Chaplain to King Charles II in 1663.He held the office of President of Trinity College, Oxford in 1664. He graduated with the degree of Doctor of Divinity (D.D.).1 He held the office of Dean of Wells in 1670.He held the office of Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University between 1673 and 1676. He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography. He was also a cartographer, and used the "Nome de'plume" of Christoph. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY . Bathurst seems to have eluded the scrutiny of two resources: R.V. Tooley: TOOLEY'S DICTIONARY OF MAPMAKERS Peter Babendererde: KUNSTLER DEKORATIVER GRAPHIK. . *.