“In 1597 Cornelis van Wytfliet published his ‘Descriptionis Ptolemaicae Augmentum’ to Ptolemy’s Geography. This is true in as much as it covers all the Americas, a part of the world unknown to the latter; however, no other connection between them exists. Dedicated to Philip III of Spain it is a history of the New World to date, recording its discovery, natural history etc. For the book Wytfliet had engraved nineteen maps, by whom we do not know … this book can be truly called the first atlas of America … Not much is known about Wytfliet other than that he was an advocate and secretary to the Council of Brabant, whose capital at the time was Louvain” (Burden).

“It is the first printed map devoted to California and the south-west of the present day United States. One of the most interesting features is the depiction of so many fabled places, largely from Spanish sources. Most notable amongst these are the seven cities of Cibola, Septem ciuitatum Patria, shown surrounding a lake, out of which flows a river that empties into the MAR VERMEIO or Gulf of California. The seven cities originated from the narrative of Fray Marcos de Niza in 1539. The existence of the lake was due to António de Espejo who was sent out as a rescue party in 1582 to find three missing Franciscan friars; on his return he told of a large inland lake. The account of this voyage was first published in Madrid, 1586. Some of the other nomenclature originates from Coronado’s epic exploration.

“The outline of the map is fairly accurate and is derived largely from Petrus Plancius’ large world map of 1592. The main coastal irregularity is the westward slant of the Californian coastline. Bearing in mind that it would be shown as part of an island in twenty five years, this is quite forgivable. It also incorrectly uses the Tropicus Capricorni from the southern hemisphere instead of using the correct Cancer. No other states of the map are known and all issues are without text on the back (Burden). Burden (1996-2007) nos. 100 & 106; Koeman (1967-70) vol. 3, p. 219; Nordenskiöld (1889) p. 133; Phillips (1909-) no. 1140; Skelton (1964); Wagner (1937) no. 188; Wheat (1957) vol. 1, p. 28 & no. 29.