[BRIGGS, Henry (1561-1630).] The North part of America. Conteyning … upon ye West the large and goodly Iland of California. [London: 1625.]

First edition of the map famous for depicting California as an island, “renowned as being the progenitor of [that] most persistent of cartographic misconceptions” (Burden). Burden also identifies this map as probably antedating the map of Abraham Goos dated 1624, making it also the first to mention Hudson’s Bay and Cape Cod. Depending on if Goos’s map or Briggs's came first, the Briggs map is either the first to depict California as an island or the first in English.

The text in the lower left reads: "California sometymes supposed to be a part of ye westerne continent, but since by a Spanish Charte taken by ye Hollanders it is found to be a goodly Ilande: the length of the west shore beeing about 500 leagues from Cape Mendocino to the South Cape thereof called Cape St Lucas as appeareth both by the Spanish chart and by relation of Francis Gaule whereas in the ordinarie charts it is set downe to be 1700 leagues." Burden 214; McLaughlin 2; Tooley p 112.

Map engraved by R. Elstracke, 290 x 358mm on 357 x 370mm sheet (pressed). Matted.