Masters of All They Surveyed: Exploration, Geography, and a British El Dorado
by D. Graham Burnett

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Book Reviews of Masters of All They Surveyed: Exploration, Geography, and a British El Dorado

Book Review: Scholarship & beautiful book plates
Summary: 3 Stars

Graham Burnett also explains the many myths, the proving of which or otherwise, preoccupied all explorers. He gives a detailed analysis of those pertaining to the anticipated inland sea, the Mahanarva Empire and El Dorado. The contemporary problem of equating an unknown terra incognita recognised as an historical source with the living actuality of the terrain is discussed. Inaccuracy of early maps exacerbated the difficulties whilst a parallel concern was to find land suitable for cash crop cultivation for Britain who ultimately succeeded in adding the colony to a burgeoning Empire. Botanical specimens assisted in defraying the cost of expeditions.

The explorers drew on whatever resources were available to them in the attempt to produce a definitive, accurate map of Guiana. This included co-opting the navy to navigate the many rivers flowing through the Orinoco Delta and calibrating this data to their own observations. The survival skills involved plus polymorphous scientific techniques are redolent of renaissance man traversing the wilderness. Astonishing in the modern era of specialisation.

The illustrations included, particularly the maps dating from the period, are apt and vividly evocative both in place and artistic style and are deservedly collector's items.

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