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Map of a planned fort at the Berbice River

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Map of a planned fort at the Berbice River

von Schmalen, J.C.

Title Leupe: Plan de la nouvelle fortification à Rio de Berbice, levé par:Von Schmalen.

During the evacuation of Fort Nassau and Nieuw-Amsterdam on 8th March 1763 due to the advance of Cuffy’s slave army, the Dutch set the fort alight to prevent its occupation. After the war was won, the need arose for new defenses.

This French-language ground plan shows a design for a fort with seven bastions and an unusual oblong shape.

Sections and functions are explained in the index to the right of the ground plan and a profile is drawn below it.

Based on the reference to Governor-General W.S. de Hoogenheim it can be deduced that the map was made between 1763 and 1765.

North is up.

Scale-bar of 40 Rhineland rods = 40 ‘strepen’ and for the profile: scale-bar of 60 Rhineland feet = 60 ‘strepen’.

Please contact Nationaal Archief for reuse and copyrights.

Sources and literature

Bosman, Lex, Nieuw Amsterdam in Berbice (Guyana). De planning en bouw van een koloniale stad, 1764-1800 (1994)