A cartographic game published by Edward Wallis in London. From the middle of the eighteenth century, it became popular to make games from maps in various ways. They not only acted as a pastime but an educational tool as well. Two distinct forms developed, those as a board game, and jigsaw puzzles. Arguably the leading proponents of such games at the beginning of the nineteenth century were John Wallis senior (1745?-1818) and his son Edward Wallis (1787?-1868). John Wallis began as a bookseller, but he went bankrupt in 1778. Starting again, he was one of the early pioneers of children’s games and puzzles. His son Edward joined him around 1813 in the business who continued the firm following his death in 1818. Edward was innovative and developed a series of ‘pictorial’ games.

An extremely attractive map which focuses on physical features alone with fauna. The 84 stops commence and end on the north coast of South America. The stops are accompanied by brief descriptions in the Rules, examples of which are extremely rare. Here they are supplied in a copy but are also available as a pdf at the Bodleian Library. Notable stops include Juan Fernandez (52): ‘This is the island where Robinson Crusoe lived so many years. His real name was Alexander Selkirk. Whoever arrives here is shipwrecked, and must withdraw from the game’. Various other rewards and forfeits are described such as number 22: ‘Hark at the horrid sounds which proceed from the forest close by! It is the death roar of a Jaguar, which an immense Boa Constrictor is in the act of crushing to a jelly … You cannot pass him, but must return to No.7.’ There are references to earthquakes at Lima and volcanic eruptions at Quito. The engraver was John Henry Banks (1816-79) who signs the ornate title cartouche. Provenance: Jonathan Potter 2003; Juan and Peggy Rada Collection. Baynton-Williams, Ashley ed. (2007) ‘Edward Wallis’, in MapForum issue 10, pp. 60-1; Tooley (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).