Carte du Détroit de Gibraltar

Reference: MS6650
Author Vincent Tofiño de San Miguel
Year: 1804
Zone: Gibraltar
Printed: Paris
Measures: 935 x 630 mm
€200.00

Reference: MS6650
Author Vincent Tofiño de San Miguel
Year: 1804
Zone: Gibraltar
Printed: Paris
Measures: 935 x 630 mm
€200.00

Description

To fight against the powerful English fleet, king Louis XIV decided to endow his ships with nautical charts that could enable them to compete with the enemy. The Neptune Francais, in 1693, can be considered a first attempt, but it was only at the beginning of the Eighteenth century that a campaign of study of the Mediterranean coasts and sea was started, leading to the realization of maps, collected in the Dépot des Cartes et Planes de la Marine in 1720.

Nevertheless, the real founder of French hydrography can be considered Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772), who served for more than fifty years the navy as engineer and cartographer, which win him first the title of "Hydrographer Engineer of the Navy" and then of "Royal Hydrographer". His first commitment was to study the French coasts fisrt, and then of the whole world. His production was massive and his nautical charts, due also to their quality, were published in many edition until the end of the XVIII century.

This allowance led to the production and the selling of sea charts, at first based on those from Bellin, then developed by other navy engineers. The sea charts were sold separately, all bearing the stamp with the anchor and the crowns of the Depot Generale de la Marine. Collections of the same charts have been published under the name of Neptune Francois, a monumental work which has been reissued many times until the half of the following century.

The following group of charts is taken from a volume entitled Neptune de la Méditerranée, about the Mediterranean sea. Where possible, there is the name of the cartographer, very often the captain of the ship, and the date of the chart.

Vincent Tofiño de San Miguel (Cadice 1732 - 1795 San Fernando)

Vicente Tofiño de San Miguel y Wanderiales (or Vanderiales) was a Spanish navigator and cosmographer. He studied experimental physics and then joined the army, which he subsequently left. In 1755 Jorge Juan asked Tofiño to join the faculty of the Academy of Marines at Cádiz (Academia de Guardia Marinas de Cádiz) as a mathematics instructor, while also allowing Tofiño to join the Armada as a second lieutenant (alférez de navío). In 1768 Tofiño was named Director of the Academy and in 1773, was named Director of the Academies of Ferrol and Cartagena as well. He participated in the expeditions against Algiers (1773) and the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1782). He acquired the rank of Brigadier of the Armada in 1784, and in 1789 the rank of Rear Admiral. He planned the initial construction, and worked at, the Royal Institute and Observatory of the Armada (Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada) of the Company of Marines, publishing observations with great scientific skill, like the transit of Venus by the Sun, taking advantage of an eclipse on 3 June 1796. Tofiño went to sea and the result of this was several works, including Derrotero de las costas de España en el mar Mediterráneo y África (1787) (Pilot's Log-book of the Coasts of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea and Africa); his colección de cartas esféricas de las costas de España y África... (1788) (Collection of Nautical Charts of the Coasts of Spain and Africa) and the Derrotero de las costas de España en el Océano Atlántico y de las islas Azores o Terceras, para inteligencia y uso de las cartas esféricas (1789) (Pilot's Log-book of the Coasts of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean and of the Azores, for the use of naval intelligence and nautical charts). Due to an error in transcription on one of Tofiño’s maps, the island of Mogro (Santander) came to be called Mouro Island. Tofino Inlet, from which the town of Tofino got its name, was named in 1792 by the Spanish explorers Galiano and Valdés, in honor of Admiral Tofiño, under whom Galiano had learned cartography.

Vincent Tofiño de San Miguel (Cadice 1732 - 1795 San Fernando)

Vicente Tofiño de San Miguel y Wanderiales (or Vanderiales) was a Spanish navigator and cosmographer. He studied experimental physics and then joined the army, which he subsequently left. In 1755 Jorge Juan asked Tofiño to join the faculty of the Academy of Marines at Cádiz (Academia de Guardia Marinas de Cádiz) as a mathematics instructor, while also allowing Tofiño to join the Armada as a second lieutenant (alférez de navío). In 1768 Tofiño was named Director of the Academy and in 1773, was named Director of the Academies of Ferrol and Cartagena as well. He participated in the expeditions against Algiers (1773) and the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1782). He acquired the rank of Brigadier of the Armada in 1784, and in 1789 the rank of Rear Admiral. He planned the initial construction, and worked at, the Royal Institute and Observatory of the Armada (Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada) of the Company of Marines, publishing observations with great scientific skill, like the transit of Venus by the Sun, taking advantage of an eclipse on 3 June 1796. Tofiño went to sea and the result of this was several works, including Derrotero de las costas de España en el mar Mediterráneo y África (1787) (Pilot's Log-book of the Coasts of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea and Africa); his colección de cartas esféricas de las costas de España y África... (1788) (Collection of Nautical Charts of the Coasts of Spain and Africa) and the Derrotero de las costas de España en el Océano Atlántico y de las islas Azores o Terceras, para inteligencia y uso de las cartas esféricas (1789) (Pilot's Log-book of the Coasts of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean and of the Azores, for the use of naval intelligence and nautical charts). Due to an error in transcription on one of Tofiño’s maps, the island of Mogro (Santander) came to be called Mouro Island. Tofino Inlet, from which the town of Tofino got its name, was named in 1792 by the Spanish explorers Galiano and Valdés, in honor of Admiral Tofiño, under whom Galiano had learned cartography.