IdentifierMaps_45cDate1657DescriptionLa Floride was printed by Pierre Mariette in Paris in 1657. According to Delanglez, Sanson's interior detail was the first attempt to harmonize the geographical data of two of the most important written accoounts of the De Soto expedition, those of Garcilaso de la Vega and the "Gentlemen of Elvas" (Espíritu Santo, page 91). With regard to its configuration and nomenclature for the Gulf Coast, the map is more important for its influence than its geography. It generally follows current convention, and most of its features appear on contemporary charts, such as those of Dudley, De Laet, and Roggeveen. The ubiquitous Bahía del Espíritu Santo is present in its usual position. Six rivers flow into it, three of which are named, respectively (east to west) "R. del Spiritu Santo," "Matta de Salvador," and "R. de Canaveral." A second "R. del Spiritu Santo" disgorges independently on the Florida coast. A chain of mountains encircles the watershed of the Gulf coast. Between the Bahía del Espíritu Santo and the "R. de Palmas" (modern-day Soto de Marina, northern Mexico) are the following fourteen place-names (east to west): "C. de Sierta," "R. de Montanhas," "R. Laso," "R. dos Pescadores," "R. de Oro," "C. d'Arboledo," "Rio Bravo," "C. Baixo," "R. Suelo," "C. Blanco," "R. Escondido," "R. Salo," "R. Brava," "Costa de Pescadores." The former Rio Bravo is undoubtedly the same river called the "R. de Baixos o R. Bravo" on Sir Robert Dudley's 1646 sea chart of the Gulf of Mexico. The later Rio Bravo is intended for the present-day Rio Grande and represents an early appearance of that river on a map. Language NoteFrenchSubjectCoasts--Mexico, Gulf of--MapsFlorida--MapsMexico, Gulf of--MapsTexas--MapsCopyright StatementNo Copyright – Non-Commercial Use OnlySize18x25.5 centimeters.CartographerNicolas Sanson
