Carte du Canada (1741)

This map, published in Amsterdam in 1741 by Guillaume Delisle (1675-1726), is a fine summary of French explorations, the map first appeared in 1703 and was updated until 1790. It is the first map to show lines of latitude and longitude fairly accurately.

Delisle did not travel with the explorers and elaborated the maps mostly in his office. The quality of his maps depended on a solid network that would provide him first-hand information. Given the family’s reputation and his own, Delisle had access to fairly recent accounts of travellers who were coming back from the New World, which gave him an advantage over his competitors.