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A late 18th century map of Asia, with notes on the principal states, empires and kingdoms of Asia written in French on the right-hand side.

On this map of Asia, New Guinea is shown as two separate islands—the western part as ‘Isle de Papous’ and the eastern part as ‘Nouvelle Guinée’—showing that in the 1770s the details of the region were uncertain.

On this map of Asia, New Guinea is shown as two separate islands—the western part as ‘Isle de Papous’ and the eastern part as ‘Nouvelle Guinée’—showing that in the 1770s the details of the region were uncertain.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

French text on the right of this map notes that the ‘Molucques’—an important region for the spice trade—were near the island of Gilolo (modern Halmahera) and names them as Ternate, Tindor (Tidore), Mutir (Moti), Machiam (Makian) and Bachian (Bacan).