Map of the Comoros Islands, circa 1812

[_moksha]

I've seen a world map that lists Honolulu as the only city in Hawaii.

Do you know of any maps that show Moroni on the Comoros Islands though from the time of Joseph Smith?

I know little about old maps. However without having specifically seen it, I would assume a city that has existed since the 10th Century would have made it into a more detailed map of a mapmaker somewhere. Just because I have not seem an 18th Century map of Damascus or Bagdad, does not mean that they were not charted.

[_Thexriddle]

Moroni, Comoro , and maps:

After looking at more than 40 maps, as well as several Geographical Gazetteers and navigation guides, covering the time period from the early 16th century through 1901 or so I can't find any evidence that Moroni and Comoro would have appeared on a map earlier than 1865 and that instance was on a German map. The British maps used Maroni to designate the city now called Moroni and Maroni only seems to have come into use after the 1840s.

An 1886 British map shows 12 towns with Maroni designated as the capital.
There is a reference to Maroni and Izandia as towns on (Grand) Comoro Island in an 1866 British navigation guide
A 1865 German map shows Moroni on G. Comoro Island. Other German sources that I found used the Maroni spelling.
1861 British State papers describe an anti-slavery treaty with the Sultan of Maroni or Muroni on Grand Comoro
An 1832 British map of the Indian Ocean Islands does not show any towns on the Comoro Islands
An 1828 British map has fairly detailed maps of the Islands but no towns.
An 1801 guide "The Oriental Navigator..." describes the Islands but the only settlement on Grand Comoro is called the "King's Town". No mention of Moroon Bay(see below).

A 1778 Admiralty map of the Mozambique Channel has an insert with detailed maps of the Comoro Islands. Grand Comoro is shown with King's Town on the North coast with two anchorages denoted. Three bays- Icona, Moroon, and Ingando are shown on the Southwest coast with depth values for points in Moroon and Ingando. What appear to be reefs are shown in Icona and Moroon but not in Ingando Bay- the apparent location of the future city of Moroni. The harbor at Johanna is shown in detail as are the locations of other towns on Johanna, Mohilla, and Mayotta.
I haven't found an online source of Admiralty maps later than the 1778 map so it is possible that Maroni may have appeared on the charts sometime after 1778.

A 1736 British map of Southern Africa shows the Comoro Islands with a note by Johanna that "here is plenty of provisions".

Pyrates and the Comoros:
The Pirate history , authored By Captain Johnson(D. Defoe, probably) and frequently reprinted in expanded versions, mention the Comoro Island Johanna frequently as well as Mayotta or Mohilla. I did not see any references to Grand Comoro Island but is possible that a closer reading may reveal that some of the geographic descriptions may have been of locations on Grand Comoro.

Miss Taken outlined another possible source for Indian Ocean names via privateer crews and their descendants.

My earlier post about Joseph in Salem suggests another route. I have not been able to find any information that would give a better estimate of the length of his recuperation with Jesse Smith but it is certain that Salem would have been saturated with talk of exotic locations such as the Comoro Islands

I know little of cartography but I would guess that the British Admiralty set the standard for nautical charts and that the American ships used British charts. If Joseph did hear stories of the Comoro Islands and Maroni he could have easily assumed the spelling was Moroni and that Comoro was Cumorah or Camorah.

All this is very tenuous but if anyone wants to follow up, send me a PM and I can Email more details.

T

[_Dr. Shades]

Oh, Shades got smacked on that one!

How do you figure?