1754 Map of the Cape of Good Hope by Nicolas Bellin

This 1754 map of the Cape of Good Hope by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, titled Le Pays des Hottentots aux Environs du Cap de Bonne Espérance, is a refined Enlightenment-era depiction of the Cape Peninsula and surrounding interior, showing the expanding Dutch colonial settlement amid the lands of the Khoikhoi peoples. Extending from Table Bay and False Bay into the inland valleys and mountain ranges, the map marks Cape Town, VOC outposts, rivers, and pastoral regions, with ethnographic labels identifying groups such as the Cochoquas, Hessequas, and Goringhaiquas. Engraved with Bellin’s characteristic clarity and restraint, it balances geographic detail with an ethnographic dimension, reflecting European curiosity about African societies as much as cartographic precision. Based largely on Dutch VOC sources and earlier works by Valentijn and Kolbe, it was published in Abbé Prévost’s Histoire générale des voyages to accompany French travel narratives. Produced at a time when the Cape Colony was firmly established under the VOC, the map encapsulates the interplay of science, colonialism, and curiosity—illustrating both the spread of empirical French cartography and Europe’s growing impulse to document, classify, and ultimately control the peoples and landscapes of southern Africa.

This map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character.  There may be marks and fold lines visible which add to the authentic look.  The map is printed on 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish.  Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers and therefore a matte finish best represents the original map.