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4 comments

[–] E-werd 2 points (+2|-0) Edited

This map is fascinating. The spellings really tell the times, how much of their information was obviously transferred verbally and then transcribed from there. It didn't need to be 100% correct, it just needed to be communicable.

  • Hawaii -> Owhyhee
  • Current day India -> Hindoostan
  • Tartars -> Tartary, from the Russian plural form of Tartar
  • Novaya Zemlya -> Nova Zemula
  • Samoyedes (Samoyedic people) -> Samoiedes
  • Uzbeks -> Usbecks
  • Bering Strait -> Beerings Straits
  • Kabul -> Cabul
  • Chile -> Chili

Some of that, like in the case of Kabul, could've just been how it was spelled at the time. There's been a lot of border moving since 1826 as well, like the whole of Australia previously being "New Holland" and Argentina being the "United Provinces of La Plata." I like the pockets in the US south-west and in amazonian Brazil that are labeled "unsubdued indians" as well.

Also a funny thing about Greenland, it shows "Norwegian Colony" but in 1826 that was technically under Danish control, legally, for at least a decade.

[–] CDanger 0 points (+0|-0)

"unsubdued indians"

Yup, I love old texts like this. From the spelling to the vocabulary to the plural usage, it is all so quaint!

Asia is supposed to contain from 300 to 600 millions of inhabitants on 16 millions of square miles. They are generally Pagans & Mahometans in a half civilized or barbarous state.

[–] CDanger 0 points (+0|-0)

Europe contains 3,300,000 of square miles with 230 millions of inhabitants generally enlightened and professing Christianity.

lol, top-minds of Europe!