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Map of a part of South America
Map of Central American and the Caribbean region
Map of Central and South America and West Africa
Map of North America and the Caribbean
Map of North America and the Caribbean region
Map of North and South America
Map of North and South America
Map of North and South America
Map of North and South America
Map of Panama, Venezuela and environs
Map of part of North and South America and the Caribbean region
Map of parts of the coasts of North and South America
Map of South America
Map of South America
Map of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
Map of the Atlantic Ocean
Map of the Caribbean
Map of the Caribbean
Map of the Caribbean
Map of the Caribbean region
Map of the Caribbean region
Map of the coasts of North and South America, from Brazil to Canada
Map of the Gulf of Mexico
Map of the northern part of South America
Map of the northern part of South America
Map of the northern part of South America
Map of the northwest coast of South America and the southern part of Central America
Map of Venezuela
Map of Venezuela
Nineteenth century map of the Dutch possessions in South America, the West Coast of Africa and New York

The Paardenbaai (Horse Bay) was an intermediate harbor for the Curaçao trade with Venezuela. Horse Bay was frequently harassed by enemy forces. The seizure of ships meant a great loss for the Curaçao trade capital. Fort Zoutman was built in January 1798 on order of director (governor) Johan R. Lauffer.Lauffer named it after Johan Arnold Zoutman. Zoutman was rear admiral during the Dutch-English war in 1781. Theunis Lourens Vos Jansz and Adriaan Wever were appointed on February 8, 1798, as gunners of the batteries in Aruba.The most important feat of arms of the fort was beating off an English attack in 1799. In 1805, Aruba was in British hands. A Dutch effort to regain the fort on November 18 failed. Still the English left the island. The fort got its current aspect during the restoration of 1826.