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A late 18th century map of Asia with regions divided by colour-coded borders, and detailing rivers, mountains, reefs and shoals.

A late 18th century map of Asia with regions divided by colour-coded borders, and detailing rivers, mountains, reefs and shoals.

A late 18th century map of Asia published in London by John Bowles, with regions indicated by colour. Central Borneo is labelled ‘Part inhabited by the Biayos’, which is seen on many contemporary maps, often with the comment ‘a savage people’.

Nautical charts like this are detailed around the coasts and on the seas (e.g. river mouths, islands, shoals and reefs) while the interiors are blank. The web of lines is a rhumbline network, while the numbers indicate sea depth (bathymetry).

Navigation chart of the east coast of mainland Southeast Asia, from Cambodia to China. Islands, shoals and reefs are marked, along with bathymetry (sea depth). There are seven side views of islands (elevations) to use as landmarks.

A map to aid navigation around the Touranne Bay (Bay of Turon, location of modern city of Da Nang, Vietnam). The web of lines is a rhumbline network, and bathymetry (sea depth), anchor points and two elevation views of the coasts are shown.

There is a port at the south of this map of the Côn Đảo archipelago (Vietnam), and notes giving details such as a suitable location to careen ships (turning a ship on its side for cleaning or repair). A ruined English fort is also marked.

This late 18th century map features a number of labels describing the local populations, including the Kemoys ('Savage People') of the mountains of Cokin China (Vietnam), the Biayos of Borneo, and the 'Wild People' of the mountains of Pegu (Myanmar).

Hand-drawn coloured borders have been added to this map to distinguish various regions: mainland Southeast Asia and most of the islands of maritime Southeast Asia are bordered in green, with Borneo and the Philippines in red.

Although the title is in English, all the other text on this map of Southeast Asia is in French (and versions with French titles were also produced). Hand-coloured regional borders, rivers and settlements are featured.

A late 18th century maritime map of Southeast Asia, marked with expedition routes including the return of Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour from Australia in 1770, and Captain Philip Carteret’s circumnavigation expedition in 1768.

Labels on this late 18th century map of Southeast Asia describe two indigenous populations—the ‘Kemoy’ of the mountains along the border of Cochin China (Vietnam) and Camboja (Cambodia), and the ‘Biayos’ of central Borneo—as ‘a wild Nation’.