Nova Scotia Archives
Halifax and Its People / 1749-1999
Harbour of Chebucto, with inserts: "A Map of the South Part of Nova Scotia and it's [sic] Fishing Banks...; "A Plan of Halifax Survey'd by M. Harris"; and "A View of Halifax Drawn from ye Topmasthead", 1750
This map first appeared in The Gentleman's Magazine for January 1750, a little over six months after the founding of Halifax on 21 June 1749 by the Honourable Edward Cornwallis. The publication noted that the plan of Halifax (inset at top right), and the central map of Chebucto Harbour, plus the topmast view of the town (inset at bottom right), had been "Drawn on the spot by Moses Harris", while the map of Nova Scotia at the top left was the work of "Mons.[i.e. Monsieur] D'Anville, Geographer to the French King". The inset at the top right is a kind of optimistic 'master plan' for the new community; it offers a less accurate representation of the actual town than the topmast view, which shows Halifax as it actually appeared during the latter part of 1749.
Artist: Moses Harris and D'Anville; published according to an Act of Parliament, 25 January 1750; printed for T[homas] Jefferys, St Martin's Lane, Charing Cross [London, England]
Date: 1750
Medium: engraving, 31 cm. x 42 cm.
Reference: Maps Nova Scotia Archives S.B. 4 / negative: O/S N-0371