1731 Brobdingnag and New Albion ( Plate 2, Part 2, Page 1)
By: Lemuel Gulliver
Date: 1731 (published) London
Dimensions: 5.27 x 2.4 inches (13.4 x 6.1 cm)
This is an authentic antique map showing the land of Brobdingnag, a portion of North America and the northwest coast of New Albion (California as an island). The map was published in the book Gulliver’s Travels, Volume 1, Part 2 by Lemuel Gulliver. The book was issued in London in the year 1731.
The map shows Brobdingnag as a peninsula extending off North America into the northern Pacific. While Brobdingnag is claimed to be a continent-sized peninsula, six thousand miles long and three thousand miles wide, the map displays the fictional land with a size comparable to that of Washington State. The map also shows many place names on the island of California, such as Point Monterey, Port Sir Francis Drake, Cape Mendocino, Cape St Sebastian, and Cape Blanco as well as the semi-mythical Strait of Anián.
The people of Brobdingnag are described as giants who are as tall as a church steeple and whose stride is ten yards. All of the other animals and plants, and even natural features such as rivers and even hail, are in proportion. The rats are the size of mastiffs, with tails "two yards long, wanting an inch", while mastiffs are "equal in bulk to four elephants".
Condition: Map is in A on clean paper with wide margins.
Inventory #18813
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