1613 Exquisita & magno aliquot mensium periculo Lustrata et iam retecta Freti Magellanici Facies . . .

By: Gerard Mercator Date: 1613 / Amsterdam Dimensions: 14 x 18 inches (35.5 x 45.7 cm) This is an authentic antique map of the Strait of Magellan and Terra del Fuego. The map was published in Gerard Mercator’s “Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes…” out of Amsterdam in 1613. Centered on an exquisite compass rose, this map bears a southern projection with North pointing towards the bottom of the map. While the Strait of Magellan is the focus of the map, one must note the southern land titled Terra Del Fuogo is mapped with a mountainous and well defined coastline extending into the unknown southern continent. This map predates the discovery of the route around Cape Horn by Schouten and LeMarie in 1616 that ultimately proved that Terra del Fuego was an island. Not only is this map the first map of the Strait of Magellan to appear in a commercial atlas, it’s one of a few sea charts produced by Mercator. From end to end, the strait is loaded with various soundings and about 17 place name