An attractive pair of maps, in the first state before plate-numbers, which relate to the sojourn of Louis and Rose Freycinet in Sydney during November of 1819. Prepared by Louis Freycinet and published in 'Voyage autour du Monde' (1824-1844), the maps show: the County of Cumberland (the plains of Sydney), from Broken Bay south and inland to the Blue Mountains; and the coloney of New South Wales, with an inset detail of Van Diemen's Land, and two schematic elevation profiles: the first showing altitude from Sydney to Bathurst; the second from Bathurst to Mount Ellendon.

The maps reflect Louis Freycinet's innate skill as a map-maker and are filled with detail reflecting the extent to which the French commander and his officers travelled within the region (for example, three members of the expedition – Quoy, Pellion and Gaudichaud – were accompanied as far as Bathurst by William Lawson).

Rather unfortunately, the Freycinet's were famously burgled on their first night in Sydney, losing all their "silver, table linen, our servants' clothing and other effects had been stolen from the ground floor of the house we occupy. You know the purpose of this colony and what sort of people are to be found here in plenty; you will therefore not be astonished at this misdeed: might one not say it is roguery's classic shore. It would be astonishing not to find thieves here as it would not to meet Parisians in Paris and Englishmen in London" ( Journal). However, they seem to have made up for this by departing with more than their fair share of local souvenirs: " two merino rams, with a view to introducing them to the flocks in France, joining, as curiosities and valuable specimens, eight black swans and a number of emus, [and] unbeknownst to the voyagers a number of convict stowaways, including a Frenchman" (McCarthy, WA Museum's "Journeys of Enlightenment" exhibition 2008).