A manuscript map of part of the fictional country of Poyaisia, signed and dated by Gregor MacGregor, self-proclaimed "Cazique of Poyais", and author of "the Most Audacious Fraud in History" (Sinclair).

The Poyaisian Scheme
For a brief history of the Poyasian Scheme, please see item 11.

The Map
As described on the title cartouche, the map is an enlarged copy, including numerous new toponyms and grants of land, from a portion of the printed map of the region engraved as map 10 from Thomas Jefferys's 'Complete Pilot for the West Indies', published by Robert Sayer in 1792 (see previous item).

The map covers the approximate area between 15 and 16 degrees north, and 67 and 68 degrees west, and extends from the "Sacrelyion River" (Rio Chamelecon) in the West, to "Plantain River" in the East, and from the town of "Poyais [sic]" on the "Rio Tinto" in the south to "Cape Camaron" (Barra Ullua) on the Caribbean coast in the north. Numerous rivers are shown, including those named above, and (west to east) the "Pyanow River", "Rio Secco" (Rio Ulua), "Cape River', "Vincents Creek", "Mustee Creek", "Walkers Creek", "Black River", "Skilling River", and "Black River Lagoon".

Several land grants are marked on the map, including three long grants on the banks of the Rio Tinto named for "William Pinkston O'Reilley", "James Reid Esq", and "John MacGregor Esq of Glengyle". Dr William Pinkston O'Reilley was the husband of MacGregor's sister Anne Sempill. John of Glengyle (b1795), 11th Chief of the Glengyle MacGregors, married Gregor's sister Jane Isabella in 1816. Three pencil amendments note three smaller land grants adjacent to the Black River.

Further land ownership is noted in the names of "J. Toose", "W.N. Skilling", and "General Robinson" - a huge swathe on either side of the Plantain River. General Robinson is likely George Augustus Robinson:

"George Augustus Robinson (1791-1866), protector of Aboriginals, was born on 22 March 1791 probably in London... Early in 1822 Robinson was considering emigration. His first choice was America, and he seems to have booked his passage to the Poyais settlement... News reached England about June 1823 of the fraudulent nature of that enterprise, and Robinson decided to emigrate to the Australian colonies instead" (Australian Dictionary of National Biography).

It would, therefore, appear plausible that the large amount of land allocated to General Robinson was more a statement of persuasion than fact and perhaps reason for the manuscript's creation?