Wye Saltonstall intended to include in his first edition of the ‘Historia Mundi’ a map of Virginia. In acquiring the Mercator-Hondius copperplates used first in the ‘Atlas Minor’ of 1607, he only possessed one of Virginia and Florida, which covers the area south of Chesapeake Bay. Since that time the Jamestown colony had become important, and a map would be needed to illustrate it. Unfortunately one was not ready in time, so at the end of the errata can be found ‘In Page 905 for the Description of Nevv Spaine read Nevv Virginia, but there is no Map of Virginia in regard where is a more exact Map drawing in that Country whose Platforme is not yet come over, but when it comes, every buyer of the Booke shall have it given him gratis.’ By ‘Nevv Virginia’ he is referring to the Jamestown settlements as an earlier chapter in the book describes Raleigh’s Virginia.

“Despite the claim in the errata, the map does not appear to have been drawn in Virginia as it is largely drawn from John Smith’s map of Virginia, 1612. It is, in fact, the first English derivative of this landmark map. Ralph Hall, the engraver, appears not to have taken great care to accurately portray the Smith delineation as many placenames are completely removed from their location on the original. He even went as far as naming ‘Hall=poynt’ in the middle of the map after himself; this occurs on no other of the period. For the adornments Hall looked elsewhere and drew on John White’s drawings as published by Theodore de Bry. Across the map he placed Indians, birds, trees and various animals, including one, a type of leopard, which in straddling a river curiously loses part of its torso. The map was included in future editions of the ‘Historia Mundi’ in 1637 and 1639. However, it is rare, lacking in many examples; a fate that has befallen many desirable maps” (Burden). Koeman vol. 2 p. 549; Morrison (1983) no. 9; Verner (1968) pp. 136-47 & 167.