This early detailed map of the Himalayan mountains appears to have been published in ‘Nouvelles Annales des Voyages’ by M M Eyries and Conrad Malte-Brun. It records the voyage of exploration to the region of Alexander Gerard (1792-1839), a Scottish army officer who was one of the first surveyor’s and explorer’s of the region. In 1817 he set out from Sabathu and explored the Sutlej valley and in the following year with his brother James he crossed it and followed the Spiti Valley to Shipki La.