Carte Des Isles Philippines Celebes et Moluques

Map drawn by Jacques Nicolas Bellin, published as a plate of the French edition of 1757 of "Histoire General des Voyages, ou nouvelle collection de toutes les relations de voyages par mer et par terre s" by Antoine François Prévost, better known under the name of abbé Prévost.

The collection, in several volumes, is printed for the first time A Paris: chez Didot, 1746-1753.

The complete work - in 12th - will continue the publications until it reaches, in 1789, a consistency of 80 volumes. 

A colossal encyclopedic research work carried out by the author, which also deserves credit for having published numerous unpublished stories about the discovery of Australia by the Dutch and reports of journeys across the Pacific, including those of Magellan and Schouten.

The work is accompanied by nearly 300 illustrations of populations, views, and costumes from around the world and by 113 splendid maps, by Jaques-Nicolas Bellin.

Bellin was one of the most important cartographers of the 18th century; he was born in Paris, and was a member of the Académie de Marine and the Royal Society of London. In 1721, at the age of 18, he was appointed hydrographer (chief cartographer) to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans et de la Marine (the French hydrographic office) and was appointed hydrographic officer to the King of France. During his service he was commissioned to survey first the French coastline and later those of the entire known world. His output was immense, and his high-quality nautical charts appeared in multiple editions beyond the end of the 18th century. 

Copperplate, with fine later hand colour, in good conditions.