Museum catalogue: Polar Art Collection

This draught of the North Pole, c1705

by Moll, Hermann

Uncoloured map by Hermann Moll. Chart of the polar region that shows the latest discoveries, routes of numerous explorers, during their attempts to find a Northwest and Northeast Passage, including James, Hudson and Barents. The Baffin and Hudson Bays are shown in a rather narrow configuration. Large blank area between the Strait of Annian and Lake des Sioux is marked "Parts Unknown." Two insets of "A Map of Nova Zembla and Waygats" plus another view of the northern hemisphere with California as an island and the purported Northwest Passage. Embellished with a compass rose."This Draught of the North Pole..." has no less than three depictions of Nova Zemlya. The lower right inset, based on Russian sources, shows it as a peninsula, though Moll includes reasons why, "we dare not fully depend upon the truth of it." The upper centre inset shows only a western coastline. Below, on the main map, he has drawn in a complete island.