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A late 18th century map of Asia featuring rivers, mountains, reefs and shoals. Regions are colour-coded, with the borders of the kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia in green, and the islands of maritime Southeast Asia in yellow and red.

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).

Map of Asia, with mainland Southeast Asia in red and divided into ancient kingdoms, Sunda Islands in yellow, and the Philippines in grey. Twelve different scales are shown, as different countries used different measurement systems.

On this map of Asia, borders are outlined and cities underlined in different colours to show the colonial territories of the European powers: e.g. at this time, Benkulen (Bencoolen) on the west coast of Sumatra is British, and Malacca is Dutch.

Map of Asia, with mainland Southeast Asia in red and divided into ancient kingdoms, Sunda Islands in yellow, and the Philippines in grey. Twelve different scales are shown, as different countries used different measurement systems.

On this map of Asia, borders are outlined and cities underlined in different colours to show the colonial territories of the European powers: e.g. at this time, Benkulen (Bencoolen) on the west coast of Sumatra is British, and Malacca is Dutch.

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.

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.

This map of Asia features four different scales: French, Russian, Turkish and Chinese. Each country had their own measuring system, so this was not uncommon at the time.

This map of Asia features four different scales: French, Russian, Turkish and Chinese. Each country had their own measuring system, so this was not uncommon at the time.

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’.