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| Published in the first atlas dedicated solely to the Americas, this is the earliest map of the Californian region. Its most striking feature is a large lake in New Mexico surrounded by the legendary Seven cities of Cibola - a misconception that arose from two sources. The first was the voyage of Fray Marcos de Niza, who led an expedition into the Zuni Indian region of New Mexico in 1539. His exaggerated description of the Zuni Pueblos gave rise to the legend of the Seven Cities of Cibola which were believed to exist somewhere to the north of New Spain. The second was a 1582 voyage by the Spanish adventurer, Antonio de Espejo. Espejo traveled to the Pueblo Indian country of the upper Rio Grande where he received reports from local Indians about a large lake surrounded by a land of great wealth. De Espejo's mythical lake quickly found its way onto early maps of the West. Wytfliet's finely executed map is a cornerstone in the early cartography of the American West. |
