Jolliet's Larger Map The image below is known as "Jolliet's Larger Map," or Ayer 48. It is here presented for your interest, it never having been available in this full form. It is a tracing from the map in the French archives. Even for French readers, some of the writing is not legible. A digitized image, now, at this time and place in the history of cartography... a digitized image would lend clarification. The best understanding of this map hypothesizes: it configures everything Governor Frontenac, in Quebec, could garner from the various sources at his disposal, especially that of La Salle. Jolliet's input is quite meager, representing the area on the map west of Lake Michigan entitled, "Colbertie [etc.]". Frontenac sent it to the king on the last flotilla of 1674, in November. The governor's secretary hand carried the map to guarantee it would be "for eyes only." La Salle was on that same November flotilla. The king would give great privileges and honors for "extending the empire," and Jolliet was not given anything. Why? because the new knowledge, overwhelmingly, of the geographical interior was the result of the explorations of La Salle, not Jolliet and Marquette. (click for schematic with notes) Service francais de l'Hydrographie et de la Marine, 4044B, No. 37. |