Important early map of the Carolinas, engraved by Francis Lamb for the 1676 edition of Speeds A Prospect . . . of the World.

The map is Speed's edition of the famous Lords Proprietors' Map of Carolina, based upon Charles II's grant to 8 of his supporters of all the lands between Virginia & Florida (overlooking the fact he did not own the land).

Speed's map is drawn from the account of John Lederer, a young German explorer who had crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains in hopes of seeing the Pacific Ocean. Lederer introduced numerous geographical myths, including a description of Piedmont NC as being under water for part of the year, a massive interior lake, and an arid region he named the Arenosa Desert. Speed's map and the text on the verso were the first to give extensive credit to Lederer & contributed to the survival of these myths for nearly 100 years.