1847 Dortet de Tessan Map of Singapore and Vicinity

An exceptionally rare nautical chart of Singapore and vicinity issued by Urban Dortet de Tessan, under the patronage of Louis Philippe I of France. French nautical charts of the Singapore region have long been overlooked by collectors and scholars in favor their more popular English counterparts. Nonetheless, this chart stands at the forefront of scientific mapping of the region and should be given due attention.

Tessan's map covers from the southern tip of the Malay peninsula to the coast of Sumatra and from (roughly) Pulau Rangsnag to Pauau Mapur (Panjang). It is centered on the Bantam Islands, including Batnam, Pulau Bulan, and Pulau Brintan. The focus of the map are the newly surveyed maritime routes south of Singapore, via the straits of Durian and Rhio (Riouw), towards the Dutch trading centers in Jakarta and the Pepper Ports of Sumatra. While inland detail is limited, the street structure of Singapore City is evident, as ore some notable inland features, such as mountains and volcanoes, are noted. Profile charts appears in the lower left quadrant.

When Singapore was founded in 1819 the seas around the colony were only tentatively mapped. The Malacca straits, which had long been a major artery of trade, had been mapped, but within proximity of Singapore island, most early mappings fell apart. This chart follows on the work of Horsburgh, supplemented by new surveys initiated by the Admiralty in 1840. Additionally, it also drawn on Dutch surveys produced under the direction of M. Van Der Plaat, who surveyed the islands just south of Singapore, in the same year. The consolidation under Tessan represents a considerable advancement over both previous charts.

The whole exhibits a level of meticulousness and detail rarely apparent in earlier charts of the region and is technically superior to the better documented British charts, such as the Thompson chart of 1846. The islands to the south remain loosely mapped, with some shorelines only ghosted in and other left notably blank, 'Partie inconue.' Nonetheless, significant advancement can be seen in the detailed sounding through in the Detroit de Rhio (Roiuw), the Detroit de Bolang, and the Detroit de Durian.

The publication history of this map is limited. The present 1847 example appears to be the only edition. The OCLC identifies the map, but also states that examples are unknown in any library that uses their system. In 1866 another, completely new map but with a similar range of coverage was issued by the Dépôt Général de la Marine, but this is very different chart and not valuable as a comparable. A unique acquisition opportunity for the Singapore collector.