An extraordinary example of the first scientific large format sea atlas of Brazil, the result of a mapping-espionage mission led by the future French Navy Minister Captain Roussin, conducted on the eve of Brazilian independence, and in anticipation of French commercial and political adventurism in the country, the colossal atlas established the new ‘gold standard’ for the scientific maritime mapping of Brazil, featuring Roussin’s detailed nautical directions, and 16 charts (on 15 plates), all predicated upon original surveys, embracing the coasts from Santa Catarina up to Maranhaõ, and detailing key trading ports, as well as infamously deadly offshore reefs surveyed for the first time; the atlas was hugely valued by mariners and emulated by cartographers for many years.
The present example comes from the library of Ferdinand-Philippe, the Duke of Orléans (1810 - 1842) and Crown Prince of France, lavishly bound in full red morocco, with the title for the second section and the table of contents supplied in exquisitely drafted manuscript, as the present example of the atlas was likely an ‘advance presentation copy’ issued before these leaves were published.
Roussin’s Pilote du Brésil was created in direct response to the opening of Brazil to international trade for the first time and the rise of Brazil as a distinct socio-economic and political entity. Brazil’s coasts were exceptionally treacherous to navigate, and due to Portugal’s longstanding policy of cartography secrecy, few reliable published sea charts of the country’s coastal stretches and harbors existed. Various parties carried out scientific surveys, and something of a contest developed to produce the best and most useful charts of Brazil. Many consider Roussin´s charts to be the ‘winners’ of this competition.
In the absence of a comprehensive corpus of published charts, Portuguese mariners had long relied upon the excellent published textual navigational directions of the ‘Roteiro do Brasil’, Manoel Pimentel’s sailing guide to Portuguese colonies, Arte de navegar (first published in 1712, since reissued), combined with the aid of skilled Brazilian pilots, plus, their own closely held manuscript charts.
Following the singing of the Carta Régia, a race commenced between London’s leading cartographers to create charts of Brazil to meet the demands of the Royal Navy and merchant mariners.
Roussin (1781 - 1854) was one of the great sailor-statesmen of Restoration France, he enlisted in the French navy at the age of 12, serving on the fleets that France assembled for its planned invasion of Britain. During this time, he received stellar training as a hydrographer from the master Jean Petit-Genet. In 1812 and 1813, Roussin commanded his own vessel roaming the open Atlantic, whereupon he captured 15 enemy vessels, making him something of a celebrity in French maritime circles.
In 1818, the French Naval Ministry decided to sponsor a highly important and sensitive mission Brazil, led by Captain Roussin. The expedition was to have multiple purposes, both overt and clandestine. Officially, its mandate was to scientifically survey the coasts of Brazil to the highest standards, with an emphasis upon covering the areas that had been poorly treated by the British charts. Roussin’s task was to complete the scientific hydrographic coverage of Brazil, while employing the ‘next generation’ of technical surveying methods. Additionally, Roussin was to forge connections with officials, leading citizens, and merchants in various ports, such that France would useful connections going forward. He was also to make observations on the region’s geography, commerce and cultures. More controversially, Roussin had secret instructions to reconnoiter the forts, gun emplacements, troop strength and the number and quality of warships, as well as to monitor the foreign presence, in each of the ports he visited.
Throughout most of the years 1819 and 1820, Roussin and his team tirelessly reconnoitered and surveyed the coasts of Brazil, from Santa Catarina all the way up to Maranhão. Careful observations were made of the natural environment, while visits to ports yielded valuable contacts and information. Upon Roussin’s return to France, his mission was declared a great success.
The atlas consists of two parts. The first, the text, features the Introduction, a list of members of the mission, nautical directions for cruising the coasts, approaching key ports an avoiding the great offshore reefs of Brazil, concluding with a set of four nautical tables (pp. 36-40). The second section features 16 charts, engraved upon 15 plates (14 of which are double-page).
Chart VII is the mission’s masterly survey of the Arquipélago de Abrolhos, a series of five small islands and reefs located well off the coats, south of Bahia, that were one of most lethal hazards in the South Atlantic. This is the first survey of the Abrolhos. Chart XIII shows the approaches to Maranhão.
The atlas is rare; it was a very expensive work, so was not mass produced. We can trace about dozen examples in institutions, we cannot trace any sales records since two different examples appeared at auction in 2003 (Christie’s and Reiss).
Notably, in lieu of the 2 printed leaves normally supplied for the title page for the second (charts) part of the work, and the table for contents for the charts, here these they are provided in exquisitely drafted manuscript, bearing the same content as the normal printed leaves. This is likely due the fact that the present example of the atlas was a ‘advance presentation copy’, perhaps issued before these relevant leaves were printed. Our experience is that publishers of such atlases, after printed the text and assembling the charts first, while see these leaves as ‘add-ons’, which were often the last leaves to be printed, often after the proofs and advance copies of the atlas were issued.
The present atlas was issued on only a single edition, must not be confused with the publication of the text of Rossin’s navigational directions without maps, in octavo format, with editions issued in 1827 and 1845
Bibliothèque nationale de France: V-884; David Rumsey Map Collection (Stanford University): 14364.000; Newberry Library: Ayer 135 .R86 1826; OCLC: 458774608, 831211671.
