1798 Bowles and Carver Map of the West Indies and Florida

An exceptional example of Bowles and Carver's c. 1798 map of the West Indies - this is one of the first maps to recognize formal British claims over Belize (British Honduras).

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces the West Indies and Caribbean, as well as Florida, the Yucatan, and parts of Central America, including Honduras, Guatemala, British Honduras (Belize), Nicaragua, and the Mosquita. Shading indicates reefs and low waters - especially notable in the Bahamas. Florida features little inland detail, although St. Augustine, Fort St. George, and Pensacola are noted along the coasts. Tampa Bay is identified as 'Spiritu Santo' with adjacent 'Hillsboro Bay'. Color coding throughout the islands underscores competing colonial empires, particularly French (blue), Spanish (yellow), and British (red) claims.

Lake Okeechobee and several feeder rivers are ghosted in and tentatively labeled 'Supposed Lake of Mujaco'. 'Mujaco' is somewhat unusual, appearing only on 2 or 3 maps. The term is a deviation of the more common 'Mayaco', after the Maraca people of Florida who came from the upper area of the St. Johns River and migrated to the Lake Okeechobee region in the early 18th century.

Belize or British Honduras

In the 1790s, British Honduras, now known as Belize, was evolving from a British logging settlement into a formally recognized colony. This decade was characterized by increasing tensions and skirmishes with Spanish forces, as Spain formally controlled the territory based on treaties, yet lacked the permanent presence to enforce its claims. The British, primarily interested in exploiting the valuable mahogany and logwood forests, established a more permanent settlement structure despite the Spanish threat. The pivotal event of this era occurred in 1798, with the Battle of St. George's Caye, where British settlers and their African enslaved workers decisively defeated a Spanish fleet, leading to a significant decrease in Spanish attempts to reclaim the area. This victory not only secured British control over the territory but also laid the groundwork for the development of a distinct Belizean identity and eventual path towards independence.

Publication History and Census

This map was issued by Henry Carrington Bowles and Jonathan Carver in London, c. 1798. It was engraved in Islington, London, by Benjamin Baker. We note at least two editions, one undated, as here, with British claims in Belize (British Honduras) mapped, and another without British Honduras dated 1798. We believe this to be an updated edition, published later in 1798, reflecting the outcome of the Battle of St. George's Caye (1798) and the gradual formalization of British claims in Belize. We note comparable examples at the Florida State Library and at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (both misdated 1783). Very little market history.