Virginia

“Discovered and Discribed by Captayn John Smith”

(a.k.a. “The Smith Map”)

A product of field notes collected during Smith’s entire stay in Virginia, 1607-09. West is at the top. The map contains the meaningless date 1606 beside the subtitle. It was first published as a loose leaf and then as a bound leaf in Smith’s book A Map of Virginia in 1612. Thereafter it was republished a dozen times in as many “states” (slightly altered versions) in Smith’s lifetime and continuing in adaptations throughout the 17th century. The Calverts used it to plant Maryland. The Supreme Court used it in the 1880s to define Maryland. An 1819 reengraving has fooled many a collector for an original.

Reprints introduced no material changes in the base map but added English place names to a few natural features. 

The Northern Neck of Virginia and the Potomac River are central and the map’s most interesting topography. The width of the Neck between Onamanient and Acquack is close to accurate and points to an unrecorded overland journey between the rivers. The features of Quiyough Flu: (Aquia Creek) are well done but the scale is double that of the Potomac River, betraying the method of composition, namely, field notes were collected page by page and scales were more or less conjectural when compared. Since the Bay is a north-south estuary, the map presents an accurate scale through latitudes obtained by astrolabe. Tributaries, mostly ranging east and west, tend to exaggerate distances to take in near-shore detail. 

The 27 Maltese crosses scattered over the map are the subject of the Cross Project.