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Cartographer
Victor Levasseur
(French, fl. mid-19th c.)
Publisher
A. Combette
(French)
Datec. 1842
MediumEngraving with hand coloring
DimensionsComposition: 10 5/8 × 16 1/16 in. (26.9 × 40.8 cm)
Sheet: 13 7/8 × 20 1/16 in. (35.2 × 51 cm)
Credit LineThe Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection of Hamilton College
Object number1971.38
On view
DescriptionMap depicting the island of Martinique. On the left, a man leans upon crates of tobacco. On the right, corn spills from barrels, along with coffee or cacao beans, and sugar cane. A statue of Josephine de Beauharnais presides in front of a mountainous landscape.
Additional Details
Provenance
1971: Hamilton College, by gift of Walter Beinecke, Jr.
Published References
Hough, Samuel J. and Penelope R.O. Hough, THE BEINECKE LESSER ANTILLES COLLECTION AT HAMILTON COLLEGE: A CATOLOGUE OF BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS, PRINTS, MAPS, AND DRAWINGS (Trustees of Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, 1994), 326, catalogue no.C30.
Inscribed
[Note: In the original 19th century French, there are a few minor misspelled words and accents missing, which have been corrected for clarity in the transcription.]
« Statistiques »
La Martinique nommé Madiana par les Indiens est la principale des Antilles Françaises.
L’air y est chaud mais sain, excepté dans les parties marécageuses du S.O. Pendant l’hivernage de mi-Juillet à Octobre, des torrents d’eau inondent la Colonie. C’est l’époque des terribles ouragans qui plus d’une fois l’ont ravagée. Le tremblement de terre du 11 Janvier 1839 détruisit presqu’entièrement la ville de Fort Royal. Une chaine de montagnes couverte de belles forêts traverse cette ile dans toute sa longueur ; quarante cours d’eau en descendent et l’arrose. Les objets de grande culture sont le sucre, le café, l’indigo, le coton, le tabac dit Macouba, le gingembre et le rocou. Les habitants se nourrissent de manioc, de maïs, de bananes. Iguames, patates, ananas, oranges, cocos, etc. Les rats et les souris y causent de grands ravages dans la Colonie. Elle est divisée en 2 arrondissements Fort Royal et St. Pierre, 4 cantons Fort Royal, St. Pierre, le Bourg Marin, et la Trinité et 26 communes. Le Fort Royal capitale de l’île et résidence du gouverneur compte 10,000 habitants. Son port est vaste et sur. St. Pierre qui renferme 18,000 habitants possède une superbe rade. Elle est le centre du commerce et l’entrepôt général des marchandises. La Martinique s’honore d’avoir donné le jour à l’Impératrice Josephine Beauharnais, Alex Beauharnais, son 1er mari ; Thibaut de Chanvalon, homme de lettre, Moreau de St. Mery. Sav. Population général : 120,000 habits.
“Statistics”
Martinique, called Madiana by the Indians, is the main island in the French Antilles. The
air is hot but clean, except in the marshy parts of the southwest. During the wintering period from mid-July to October, floods inundate the colony. It is the period of terrible hurricanes that have destroyed the island more than once. The earthquake on January 11, 1839 destroyed almost the entire town of Fort-Royal. A mountain range covered in beautiful forests crosses the length of the island; forty streams descend from the mountains and water the island. Field crops include sugar, coffee, indigo, cotton, tobacco, otherwise known as Macouba, ginger, and achiote. Inhabitants eat cassava, corn, and bananas, iguames, sweet potatoes, oranges, coconuts, etc. Rats and mice wreak havoc in the colony. Martinique is divided into two districts: Fort Royal and St.
Pierre, 4 administrative districts, Fort Royal, St. Pierre, Bourg Marin, and Trinité, and 26
municipalities. Fort Royal, the capital of the island and the residence of the governor, has 10,000 inhabitants. Its port is wide and safe. St. Pierre, which contains 18,000 nhabitants, has a superb harbor. It is the center of commerce and the general warehouse of goods. Martinique is honored to have given birth to Empress Josephine Beauharnais, Alex Beauharnais, her first husband; Thibaut de Chanvalon, author, Moreau de St. Mery. Sav. General population: 120,000 inhabitants.
« Statistiques »
La Martinique nommé Madiana par les Indiens est la principale des Antilles Françaises.
L’air y est chaud mais sain, excepté dans les parties marécageuses du S.O. Pendant l’hivernage de mi-Juillet à Octobre, des torrents d’eau inondent la Colonie. C’est l’époque des terribles ouragans qui plus d’une fois l’ont ravagée. Le tremblement de terre du 11 Janvier 1839 détruisit presqu’entièrement la ville de Fort Royal. Une chaine de montagnes couverte de belles forêts traverse cette ile dans toute sa longueur ; quarante cours d’eau en descendent et l’arrose. Les objets de grande culture sont le sucre, le café, l’indigo, le coton, le tabac dit Macouba, le gingembre et le rocou. Les habitants se nourrissent de manioc, de maïs, de bananes. Iguames, patates, ananas, oranges, cocos, etc. Les rats et les souris y causent de grands ravages dans la Colonie. Elle est divisée en 2 arrondissements Fort Royal et St. Pierre, 4 cantons Fort Royal, St. Pierre, le Bourg Marin, et la Trinité et 26 communes. Le Fort Royal capitale de l’île et résidence du gouverneur compte 10,000 habitants. Son port est vaste et sur. St. Pierre qui renferme 18,000 habitants possède une superbe rade. Elle est le centre du commerce et l’entrepôt général des marchandises. La Martinique s’honore d’avoir donné le jour à l’Impératrice Josephine Beauharnais, Alex Beauharnais, son 1er mari ; Thibaut de Chanvalon, homme de lettre, Moreau de St. Mery. Sav. Population général : 120,000 habits.
“Statistics”
Martinique, called Madiana by the Indians, is the main island in the French Antilles. The
air is hot but clean, except in the marshy parts of the southwest. During the wintering period from mid-July to October, floods inundate the colony. It is the period of terrible hurricanes that have destroyed the island more than once. The earthquake on January 11, 1839 destroyed almost the entire town of Fort-Royal. A mountain range covered in beautiful forests crosses the length of the island; forty streams descend from the mountains and water the island. Field crops include sugar, coffee, indigo, cotton, tobacco, otherwise known as Macouba, ginger, and achiote. Inhabitants eat cassava, corn, and bananas, iguames, sweet potatoes, oranges, coconuts, etc. Rats and mice wreak havoc in the colony. Martinique is divided into two districts: Fort Royal and St.
Pierre, 4 administrative districts, Fort Royal, St. Pierre, Bourg Marin, and Trinité, and 26
municipalities. Fort Royal, the capital of the island and the residence of the governor, has 10,000 inhabitants. Its port is wide and safe. St. Pierre, which contains 18,000 nhabitants, has a superb harbor. It is the center of commerce and the general warehouse of goods. Martinique is honored to have given birth to Empress Josephine Beauharnais, Alex Beauharnais, her first husband; Thibaut de Chanvalon, author, Moreau de St. Mery. Sav. General population: 120,000 inhabitants.
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