{"product_id":"old-yucatan-coast-west-cuba-nautical-chart-by-jefferys-1794-cozumel-isla-mujeres-campeche","title":"Old Yucatan Coast \u0026 West Cuba Nautical Chart by Jefferys, 1794: Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Campeche","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis late-18th-century sea chart presents the Caribbean’s most strategic corridor with precision and drama: the low-lying north coast of Yucatán from the Fort at Campeche to Ascension Bay, set against the west end of Cuba. Its central concerns are nautical navigation, coastal geography, and the choreography of maritime routes, vividly conveyed through plotted tracks of Spanish galleons and carefully labeled channels. Published in 1794 by Laurie \u0026amp; Whittle from Thomas Jefferys’ celebrated West India Atlas, it distills high-stakes sailing knowledge into an elegant visual system. The map is compelling for the way it marries practical hydrography with geopolitical narrative, revealing how ships threaded reefs, capes, and islands that governed the Spanish Empire’s commerce and the wider Atlantic world’s currents of trade and power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chart’s infographics are a masterclass in 18th-century pilotage. Dense arrays of soundings record depth in sounding figures that tiptoe along banks and through passes, translating undersea relief into navigational certainty. The “Good Channel” marked between Cozumel and the mainland’s “Coast of Bacalar” offers a preferred passage, while lines tracing the galleons’ courses depict well-tested tracks amid shoals and shifting waters. A bold compass rose orients the mariner, and the placement of ship vignettes underscores navigable routes rather than mere ornament. Labels like “Ya. de Mugeres” capture period orthography, turning toponyms into cultural data points. Together, these elements form an early data visualization: layered, legible, and purpose-built for decision-making at sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeography is rendered with tactile clarity. From Campeche eastward around Cape Catoche, past Isla de Mujeres and Cozumel, the coastline’s scalloped indentations, inlets, and reef-studded margins are drawn with disciplined linework. Inland references such as Mérida position the coast within a broader territorial frame, while the Los Alacranes islands signal hazards and opportunities for shelter or bearings in an otherwise open seascape. Ascension Bay anchors the chart’s eastern reach, where channels, banks, and coastal profiles tighten into a mariner’s puzzle. The west end of Cuba closes the field of view, reminding navigators of the interdependence between Yucatán and Cuban waters. Elevation cues along the shore help pilots recognize landfalls, aligning coastal silhouettes with the measured intelligence of the soundings below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, the plotted tracks of the Spanish galleons are the chart’s narrative spine. They reveal habitual sea-lanes that carried bullion, dyewoods, and agricultural wealth through Yucatán’s complex reef systems toward Cuban waypoints and transatlantic convoys. That a British geographer captured these pathways illustrates the era’s intense competition for maritime intelligence. Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to His Majesty and a leading authority on North American cartography, was renowned for translating state and commercial knowledge into practical charts; Laurie \u0026amp; Whittle’s 1794 publication extended this tradition, refining and disseminating it to a broader audience. The result is an artifact of strategy as much as science—an atlas plate where empire, economy, and navigation converge in crisp, actionable detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artistry is inseparable from its utility. Classical 18th-century design—ornate compass rose, poised ship portraits, and disciplined coastline engraving—creates a visual hierarchy that guides the eye from grand routes to fine-grained hazards. Subtle color differentiations heighten the legibility of land and sea, while the careful lettering of Spanish and English toponyms speaks to layered jurisdictions and cultural exchange. As a dataset, it preserves historical knowledge of channels, currents, and coastal morphology invaluable to maritime historians, geographers, and collectors alike. As an object of beauty, it epitomizes the era’s synthesis of science and style, transforming the perils of the Caribbean littoral into an elegant, intelligible map of movement and meaning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable places on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCampeche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCozumel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIsla de Mujeres (Ya. de Mugeres)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBacalar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAscension Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort at Campeche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLos Alacranes Islands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMerida\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCape Catoche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious navigational routes indicated by tracks of ships\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClearly marked coastline extending from Campeche to Ascension Bay.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIllustrations of sailing ships, indicating navigable routes and maritime activity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLabeled geographical features such as \"Isla de Mujeres\" and \"Cozumel.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"Good Channel\" description between Cozumel and Bacalar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInclusion of soundings, suggesting water depths crucial for navigation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePresence of a compass rose indicating directions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTopographical features depicted, showcasing elevation variations along the coast.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLines indicating current patterns or navigational channels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTracks of Spanish Galleons illustrated, indicating historical maritime activity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNautical focus with detailed coastal depiction important for maritime navigation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe historical mapping of key trade routes of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe artwork showcases a blend of functionality and aesthetic appeal typical of the period's cartographic practice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRepresentation of trade and exploration activity prevalent in the late 18th century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndication of jurisdictions and territorial claims relevant to maritime powers of the time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse of color to delineate different land and marine features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmphasis on maritime trade routes, highlighting the economic and strategic importance of the area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCultural representation through labeling and illustration, reflecting the mapping practices of the era.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTitle: The Coast of Yucatan from Campeche to Ascension Bay with the West End of Cuba.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDate of Creation: 1794.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMapmaker\/Publisher: Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to His Majesty; published by Laurie \u0026amp; Whittle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMapmaker Interest: Thomas Jefferys was known for creating detailed maps of North America, particularly in the 18th century, emphasizing accuracy and navigation for maritime use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThemes: Nautical navigation, coastal geography, and maritime routes, specifically illustrating the tracks of Spanish galleons and navigable channels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign\/Style: Classical late-18th-century cartography featuring ornate compass roses, illustrations of ships, and detailed topographical outlines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical Significance: A functional chart for sailors navigating treacherous Caribbean waters, reflecting Spanish Empire maritime interests and trade routes.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58016744112512,"sku":"UM00276192A","price":75.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58016744145280,"sku":"UM00276193A","price":202.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58016744178048,"sku":"UM00276194A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58016744210816,"sku":"UM00276195A","price":75.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58016744243584,"sku":"UM00276196A","price":202.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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