5.  Chart of Toulon

5. Title: Chart of the roads and harbours of Toulon with their Environs: Copied from the Original Survey in the Depot de la Marine at Toulon.
Date: 1795.
Size: 570 x 610 mm.
Imprint(s): London, Published by W. Faden, Geographer to His Majesty and to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Charing Cross, April 12th 1795.
Signature(s): J. Cooke Sculpt. Hendon, Middlesex.
Location(s): NLW, BL, NMM, BNF, KB and BNE.[1]

Comments: This map was drawn up only two years after the siege of Toulon had brought the abilities of the young Napoleon Bonaparte to the fore. Toulon, along with a number of other important cities had rejected the revolutionists and remained royal supporters. When the revolutionary forces moved towards Toulon to recapture it, the commander turned, in vain, to the Anglo-Spanish fleet for support. After some three months of siege Bonaparte took the port and in the process many ships were sunk in the harbour.

The map shows soundings, drying and submerged banks, anchorages, transits and coastal relief, vegetation, settlements etc. for about 1 mile inland and text panels relate to shipping in the harbours of Toulon (identifying old, repairable and serviceable vessels and ships burned on 18 December 1793) and buildings in the arsenal of Toulon. 





Note: This map actually became an Admiralty map post-1823 after the Admiralty bought up the plates from William Faden.
The reduced NMM facsimile has extra line (Be) - see image.





[1] NLW copy is MAP 6250; BL Maps 17778.(4.) and SEC.5.(148c.); NMM is G 231.6/31. Two copies are posted on-line by the National Libraries of France (BNF) and Spain (BNE). 

A facsimile has been produced as part of the Admiralty Collection and Crown Copyright at NMM (1994, detail illustrated). NLW copy kindly checked by Camwy MacDonald.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog