A map of Egypt drawn after the defeat of Napoleon’s army

A detailed map of the Nile south to Aswan, continued to Old Dongola in Sudan within an inset. Although drawn by a military man, it contains considerable references to antiquities. Leake (1777-1860) was sent to Constantinople in 1799 to train the Ottomans in the use of artillery, to help them repel Revolutionary France. He joined the Ottoman army in Egypt in 1801 and, after the French army was expelled, was employed to survey the Nile as far as the cataracts. Like Napoleon's 'savants', his interests were two-fold: firstly there were the logistical, including the possibility that the ancient canals linking the Nile with the Red Sea could be reopeded; and secondly correlating the antiquities with the writings of classical writers like Pliny and Herodotus. Leake's route home included sailing on the ship carrying the Elgin Marbles from Athens to England. Unfortunately it floundered off Cerigo and he lost all his maps and observations. The publication of this map had to wait until 1818, when he had retired from the army. He compiled this map from various sources, edited with his own knowledge: he acknowledges the work of Johann Ludwig Burckhardt for the mapping south of Aswan. The map appears to be the 1840 edition by John Arrowmith; Wyld's advert is illustrated in 'British Map Engravers' and given the date1846.