Carte du Canal de Mozambique, Contenant l’Isle de Madagascar, avec les Cotes d’Afrique

Title

Carte du Canal de Mozambique, Contenant l’Isle de Madagascar, avec les Cotes d’Afrique

Description

Map shows Mozambique with the cities of Sofala, Maputo, Tonga, the Strait of Mozambique and Madagascar. On an inset map, the coast from Saldanha Bay to the Cape of Good Hope.

ca. 1780

Artist

Bonne (1727-1795)

Rigobert Bonne (1727–1795) was one of the most important cartographers of the late 18th century. In 1773 Bonne succeeded Jacques Nicolas Bellin as Royal Cartographer to France in the office of the Hydrographer at the Depôt de la Marine. Working in his official capacity, Bonne compiled some of the most detailed and accurate maps of the period. Bonne’s work represents an important step in the evolution of the cartographic ideology away from the decorative work of the 17th and early 18th century towards a more detail oriented and practical aesthetic. With regard to the rendering of terrain Bonne maps bear many stylistic similarities to those of his predecessor, Bellin. However, Bonne maps generally abandon such common 18th century decorative features such as hand coloring, elaborate decorative cartouches, and compass roses. While mostly focusing on coastal regions, the work of Bonne is highly regarded for its detail, historical importance, and overall aesthetic appeal.

Historical Description

Before the great exploratory trips by the Europeans, Arabs had ruled the coast off Africa for centuries. They traded between Africa, the Orient and India in gold, ivory and African slaves. The first Portuguese to land in Sofala in 1497 was Pedro da Covilhã, who was commissioned by the Portuguese king to explore the sea route from Arabia to East Africa. In 1498 Vasco da Gama reached Mozambique on the way to India: On the island of Mozambique he met Sheikh Moussa Ben Mbiki, from whom the name Mozambique is derived. The Portuguese then seized these trading centers and penetrated inland along the Zambezi in search of gold. For centuries the Portuguese were content with trading slaves and cared little about the population. Their rule lasted into the 20th century, and living conditions in the colonies deteriorated considerably as a result of forced labor, exploitative employment contracts and reckless treatment. Until 1898, the city of Ilha de Moçambique was the country's capital. She also gave the country its name.