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Sketch of Fort Collenburg

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Sketch of Fort Collenburg

Schrijver, Cornelis

Title Leupe: Plan van een fortificatiewerk, geprojecteert op de menagie enz. Voor het Eiland Curaçao enz.

This is one of the maps of Fort Collenburg which Captain Cornelis Schrijver made in 1737. Together with the accompanying report, these maps give a impression of the modest proportions and light armament of this fortification and also suggest ways to improve it. On this sketch, a projection is made of the depot, lodge and four cannons and a profile is shown of the walls. The series and suggestions were to no avail and the improvements appear to have never been made. The only occasion on which the fort was actually attacked, on the 18th of June 1805 in the run-up to the British action against Fort Beekenburg led by Murray, the fort easily fell into enemy hands and was later destroyed by the British during their retreat to their ships. In passing, Schrijver states that during his inspection of Collenburg he had no foot-rule with him and so had just ‘paced out’ the measurements.

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Sources and literature

Heijer, H. den, Grote Atlas van de West-Indische Compagnie = Comprehensive Atlas of the Dutch West India Company, II, de nieuwe WIC 1674-1791 = the new WIC 1674-1791 (2012)