A beautiful 1855 first edition example of Colton's map of north western Africa.  Covers the entirety of north western Africa from Tripoli as far west as Senegal and Gambia and as far south as Gabon.  Inset map in the lower left depicts the Liberia land purchases from 1822 to 1848.  Colton attempted to map the numerous caravan routes that crisscross the western Sahara, noting wells, oases, towns, mines, and some topographical features.  The course of the Niger is shown somewhat correctly emptying into the Gulf of Guinea.    Names numerous African tribes and nations throughout.  Surrounded by Colton's typical spiral motif border.    Dated and copyrighted to J. H. Colton, 1855.  Published from Colton's 172 William Street Office in New York City.  Issued as page no. 35 in volume 2 of the first edition of George Washington Colton's  1855   Atlas of the World .
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:J._H._Colton" class="extiw" title="w:en:J. H. Colton"><span title="United-States geographer and mapmaker">J. H. Colton</span></a>
</bdi>
1855 (dated)
This file was provided to Wikimedia Commons by <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.geographicus.com/">Geographicus Rare Antique Maps</a>, a specialist dealer in rare maps and other cartography of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as part of a <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Geographicus" title="Commons:Geographicus">cooperation project</a>.