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NOTES from PROBST'S CHART of THE CHANNEL, 1782

  
These notes are taken from a Carte de la Manche, Chart of the English Channel, engraved by I F C Jack, published by Jean Michel Probst, Augsburg, Germany, 1782. The chart studied was on display at the Institute of Maritime and Heritage Studies, Portsmouth.
map type: HantsMap & Probst 1782
The chart size is: wxh, sheet = 80x59cm; wxh map = 743x528mm; in two pieces mounted together. These notes are strongly biased towards a Hampshire interest.

MAP FEATURES

title    
map maker    

The title is printed upper centre between two grand ships, men of war, 3 masted, 2 gun decks and 3 gun decks respectively. The 2 decker on the left is flying the Red Ensign, the Union Flag in the canton without St Patrick's Cross, at this date Ireland was not included. There are some smaller working boats between the ships. The title:-
CARTE DE LA MANCHE DES COSTES DE FRANCE PARTIES DE CELLE D'ESPAGNE Jusqu'au Cap Orgatel Verifiee sur Plusieurs Memoire Par Mr D Ch Officier de Marines a Augsbourg chez Jean Michel Probst 1782
Printed bottom left:-
I. C. F. Jack sculp

orientation    
north point    
up is E    
rhumb lines    

The map has a north point; N marked by a fleur de lys. And has rhumb lines drawn from five centres. It is printed with East at the top of the sheet.

lat and long scales    
scale    

Printed in the chart borders are scale of latitude and longitude; chequered and labelled in 10 minute intervals. Remember that the map has East at the top; longitude scales are left and right, latitude scales are top and bottom. The chart includes from 10d 30m to 20d 10m E, from 43d 10m to 52d 30m N. The prime meridian is in the Atlantic about 17d 45m W of Greenwich - for the longitude scale on the right (south). The longitude scale on the left (north) is labelled the other way, from a prime meridian running through the:_
Observatoire
marked at Paris, France. This is 19d 59m E of the other prime meridian.
There is no scale line, but from measuring the scale of latitude, 8d = 621.3 mm, giving a chart scale about:-
1 to 1400000
6.5 leagues to 1 inch
22.5 statute miles to 1 inch
The chart covers the coast of Spain from cap Orgetal to the french border; the coast of France the spanish border to Dunkirk; labelled:-
PARTE DE FRANCE
including Gasconne, Guyenne, Saintogne, Aunis, Poitou, Britagne, Normandie, and Picardie; the coast of southern England and Wales from Cardigan to Orford Ness; the Scilly Isles; and a tiny corner of Ireland.

sea area    
sea plain    
sandbanks    
depth soundings    
tides    
anchorages    

The sea is plain with depth soundings in fathoms. Sand banks are shown by a dotted outline, rocks by crosses and inverted vees. Some anchorages are shown by anchor symbols.

coast line    
coast shaded    

The coast is shaded and tinted inland. The islands are harbours at Portsmouth etc, are recognisable, as is Southampton Water.

country    
Countries are labelled, eg:-
PARTIE D'ANGLETERRE
labelled across England and Wales, though there is also a label:-
Gallia

county    
There are no county borders, but some areas are labelled, eg:-
HAMP

settlements    
Settlements are labelled along the coast.


Hampshire Places

The places marked along the Hampshire coast are:-
Christchurch
Milton
Limington
Calsholt [sic]
Southampton
Verton [Wolston???]
Forham
Spithead
Gospord [sic]
Portsmouth
Polcaster [Porchester?]
Many are badly placed.

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HantsMap Notes -- PROBST1.txt
MN: 23.9.2002
last edit: 22.10.2002